Gender Roles In Stroker's Dracula

With blood staining her nightgown, Mina remains in lucid, helpless state while Dracula feeds from her neck. When others arrive at the scene with crime in progress, Dracula address Van Helsing, Morris, Harker, Holmwood, and Seward (or the team) when he derisively said:

You think to baffle me. […] You shall be sorry yet. […] My revenge is just begun! […] Your girls that you love are mine already; and through them you and other shall yet be mine—my creatures, to do my bidding and to be my jackals when I want to feed (914).

This scene sets the basic structure of gender roles in Victorian society. In this scene, Stroker shows Mina as weak and under the influence of men. She is unable to free herself until men come to her rescue. Dracula controls the men by turning their women into vampires. Stoker reflects the idea that women are mere possessions of men. Dracula and other men are fighting to gain control over her. By controlling Mina, Dracula has challenged their masculinity, because they are unable to protect her from Dracula. The fact

that Dracula is a man further develops the idea that men control women. This important climatic scene sets the gender roles as women being weak and men being powerful. In Dracula, Bram Stoker presents and sometimes challenges gender roles of women during Victorian era.
As his fears grow, Johnathan writes “I am alone in the castle with those horrible women. Faugh! Mina is a woman, and there is nought in common” (164). Johnathan is referring to the vampire women, who live in Castle Dracula. By comparing Mina and these women, Stoker reflects the different classes of women, which includes the wealthy women and mistresses/prostitutes (Thomas). Mistresses/prostitutes are lowest in this social structure, because they have sexual relationships before marriage. Often, they are mistreated because they occupy the lowest social class (Thomas). When Dracula stops these women from hurting Johnathan, Dracula says “You shall kiss him at your will” (124). The kiss refers to women sucking the blood out of Johnathan. However, Stoker uses “kiss” (124) in this dialogue to represent pre-marital sexual relationships. During his visit, Johnathan witnesses “man […that] the women take away” (138). This event shows that women have kissed or preyed many men. This metaphor assigns them in the same social status as mistresses/prostitutes. Johnathan compares them to Mina in order to highlight that distinction of social status of mistresses and wealthy Victorian women. He uses words such as “monsters […] horrible […] devils” (164) to describe these women. While these women represents evil, Mina represents good.
Stoker does not given these women any names. They are often seen together and referred to as vampire women. In Victorian era, mistresses/prostitutes does not have any identity rather they were often referred as this particular group of women. This lack of identity indicates that these vampire women are inferior in social structure. They are not important to be remembered as separate individuals by others. This establishes the stereotypes that many Victorians held against this social class of women. Their self-worth is diminished when they are labeled as mistresses/prostitutes.
As fair woman bent over Johnathan, he felt “tingling through the nerves as her voice, but with a bitter underlying the sweet, a bitter offensiveness, as one smells in blood” (120). At this moment, Johnathan experiences strong desire to allow fair woman to come near him. Following on the idea that these women represents mistresses/prostitutes, Stoker is indicating that such women have strong influence over men. They corrupt men into having sexual intercourse with them. In this scene, Johnathan is in a dilemma of whether to allow the fair woman to kiss him or not. He is unable to fight his urges and “waited—waited with beating heart” (121). He has no control over his actions. By establishing these women equivalent of prostitutes and mistresses, he shows men are victims of these women in this social class. Again, these women are shown as evil creatures with unmoral beliefs. Victorians display extreme bias towards these women.
When the fair woman is ready to kiss Johnathan, Dracula comes in and “grasp the slender neck of the fair woman” (121-22). Besides killing of Lucy and other women, this is the only scene where force is used on a woman. Stoker includes this scene to add to the extended metaphor of these women being prostitutes/mistresses. This scene shows that prostitutes/mistresses are often victims of violence during Victorian era. Without wealth and status, these women could not protect themselves from others. Since they have many sexual relations, these women corrupt and unworthy of human affections. They are often treated as objects under the control of men. In this scene, the vampire woman have become corrupt by feeding on many people. Dracula uses force over them, because he believes he has power over them. They are dependent on Dracula for survival, therefore they cannot go against his will. This sets them as inferior to Dracula. This shows the same relationship of prostitute and her customer.
Lucy represents the middle social class of woman that lies between lower (prostitutes) and higher social class (pure, innocent Victorian women). When Stoker first introduces Lucy, she questions “why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her […]?” (182). From the start, Lucy shares her sexual feelings. As a Victorian lady, Lucy can only have sexual intercourse with one man: her husband. By thinking about marrying more than one husbands, she is displaying an unorthodox idea. Therefore, Victorian reader might think of her as a Victorian lady with some flaws. Even in her flaw, Lucy reflects her innocence, because she feels guilty for turning two of her suitors away. She says to Mina “it isn’t at all a happy thing when you have to see a poor fellow, whom you known loves you honestly […] looking all broken hearted” (176-177). This shows that Lucy is pure in heart. Instead of gloating about her excellent proposals, she feels guilt for causing pain to others. Therefore, she presents this idea of having multiple husbands in her own innocent way. Victorians readers might consider her at fault, but she does have Victorian ideals such as innocence and kindness.
As story progresses, Lucy loses many Victorian qualities of an ideal woman. Dr. Seward says “Arthur was saying that he felt since [transfusion of blood] as if they two had been really married” (516-517).Victorian men are allowed to have multiple sexual relationships, but women are not given this freedom. Through this statement, Stoker presents the idea that women have multiple relationships. Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, Quincy Morris, and Arthur Holmwood give Lucy their blood. Since Arthur considers transfusion of blood as a way of getting married, Lucy is married four times to different individuals. During sexual intercourse, fluids are exchanged between people through kissing. Each transfusion represents a sexual relationship. To respect Victorians’ ideals, Stoker presents Lucy as a vampire to show that she has been corrupted by having sexual marital relationships. She is no longer pure of her body. By showing Lucy fully transform into vampire, she is sharing some of the same characteristics as vampire women, like having premarital relationships.
With her full transformation into a vampire, Lucy loses all good characteristics of a Victorian woman. When Van Helsing takes Dr. Seward and others to Lucy’s grave, Dr. Seward describes the change in Lucy as “the sweetness was turned to…heartless cruelty, and the purity to voluptuous wantonness” (627). Lucy has transformed from a good Victorian woman to evil vampire. When the men spot Lucy, she carries a child stained with blood. Lucy loses her motherly quality when she feeds from a child. During the Victorian era, women are expected to display a motherly quality. It is a big part of their pure and innocent personalities. A role of a mother is considered most sacred of all roles that women play in society. Lucy’s actions indicates that it is the last step in Lucy’s total transformation as vampire. The vampire Lucy is a “devilish mockery of Lucy’s sweet purity” (636). Although vampire Lucy shares the same body as Lucy, she does not have good qualities of Lucy. The real Lucy died after she fully transformed into a vampire and lost all her good qualities. Through this contrasting characteristics, Stoker is trying to show that a good woman can transform into corrupt, impure woman.
Van Helsing describe Mina as “pearl among women”(650). Mina represents a perfect, Victorian woman, because she is pure, kind, and innocent. When Dr. Steward, Van Helsing, Quincy, and Arthur come to Johnathan’s house, Mina greets them kindly. These men experience a terrifying event. As men, they are not allowed to show great emotion. Mina comforts them through her kind words. Mina says to Quincy “I wish I could comfort all who suffer from heart” (686). As novel progresses, Mina gave these men courage to continue with their mission.
In Victorian era, women are viewed as emotional, irrational human beings. However, Stoker challenges this idea through portrayal of Mina. Dr. Seward says that “[Mina’s] loving kindness against our grim hate” (919). Mina represented “goodness and purity and faith”(919). While others showed hatred towards Dracula, Mina says that there mission “is not a work of hate” (920). A curse corrupts Dracula’s soul without his knowledge. He is not evil, rather he is trapped by this curse. Therefore, they should not hate him because this curse is beyond his control. Mina was truly noble than others. This shows that Mina does not let her condition overpower her rather she shows great empathy towards Dracula. Through this dialogue exchange, Stroker is trying to emphasize that women possess greater control over their emotions than men. Jonathan and others are blinded by their hatred of Dracula. Mina raises the question of morality. Also, her empathy towards Dracula shows that she is very noble and kind. Even after Dracula gives this curse, Mina shows kindness and pity towards him.
When the men begin their mission, Van Helsing says “Mrs.

Harker is better out of [their plan]” (761). All men agreed that it will be hard for Mina to handle any dangers that they might face during this journey. This shows that men viewed women as weak and fragile beings. Stroker challenges this idea. When Count “gave her […]’the Vampire’s baptism of blood’ ”(960), Mina showed courage and strength. In Chapter 25, Mina asks others to kill her if she transforms into a full vampire. It is quite brave of her to accept the fact that she might not live for long. This kind of bravery is hard for anyone to display. Stroker is trying to state that one should not underestimate courage and bravery that a women holds within her. After realizing her inevitable destiny, Mina tries to act normal and cheerful in order to help others keep their courage. She gives them strength to continue in their mission. Only brave soul could do things that Mina

did.
The responsibilities of a Victorian woman are taking care of household and children. Beyond these responsibilities, they have limited freedom to do what they want. Mina challenges these restrictions. She learns short hand and how to use a typewriter. When Dracula comes into Johnathan’s home, he destroys many records of their journals and other documents. Without Mina, these records would have completed been destroyed if she had not copy them on the typewriter. When she learns about Dracula, she is determined to help in any way she can. Her enthusiasm and intelligence shows her as New Woman. Van Helsing compliments her by saying she has “man’s brain-a brain that a man should have were he much gifted” (697). He states that Mina is equally intelligent as any other men. During Victorian era, intelligence is usually associated with men. It is not common to refer to a woman as intelligent. Mina is an exception. She makes rational and wise decisions, which separates her from Lucy or three vampire women.
When Dracula attacks Mina, he is mocking the gender roles set in patriarchal society. By not including her in the plan, Arthur, Quincy, Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, and Johnathan left Mina vulnerable against Dracula. Their acceptance of gender role is their weakness. Dracula takes advantage of this weakness. Stoker establishes the gender roles throughout the novel through characterization of different female characters. Sometimes, he challenges the same gender role such as in this particular scene. His aim is to allow the reader to question whether these gender roles need to be changed.