Transition of Women – Traditional to Modern

“The Victorian times, signified the birth of issues surrounding gender roles and the place of women in the society. Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra and the three female vampires are the most prominent female roles in Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula. The female representation in the novel portrays the similarities in the way women were viewed in the Victorian society. During the Victorian Era, women’s right were very limited and after marriage their rights were passed on to their husbands.

As a result, women didn’t want to remain submissive to their husbands. Females in this society aspired to attain the role of a “New Woman”, an intelligent, independent woman with the freedom to express herself. Through his novel, Stoker capitalized on the fear of the “New Women” rising up in the Victorian society, running parallel with the women’s suffrage in England. The Victorian society much appreciated the caring, nurturing, motherly women (ideal women) over the overtly voluptuous and sexual women (new women). While some women were able to attain the “new women” role, others still remained as the “ideal women” of the Victorian Era.

In the novel, Mina Murray is portrayed as the ideal women of the Victorian Era, by Stoker. While exchanging a conversation with Jonathan, Van Helsing praises Mina by saying, “‘She is one of God’s women, fashioned by His own hand to show us men and other women that there is a heaven where we can enter, and that its light can be here on earth. So true, so sweet, so noble, so little an egoist – and that, let me tell you, is much in this age, so skeptical and selfish.’” (Stoker, 201) By stating the above, Van Helsing uses Mina to describe an ideal women of the Victorian Era. Mina’s devotion towards her husband and her characteristics are defining qualities that make Mina’s womanhood an ideal one, that is respected by the men of the society. “‘Ah, that wonderful Madam Mina! She has man’s brain—a brain that a man should have were he much gifted—and a woman’s heart. The good God fashioned her for a purpose, believe me, when He made that so good combination.’” (Stoker, 253) The above quote shows that Van Helsing believes that Mina is the closest any women can get to being an ideal women. Van Helsing’s complement of Mina possessing a “woman’s heart” and a “man’s brain” goes on to say that a strong mind in combination with love, kindness and a caring nature makes for an ideal women of the Victorian Era.

Lucy, after being turned into a vampire represents a very sexual women. Her new transition into a vampire ends up with her becoming a “New Women” of the Victorian Society. During her transition, Lucy calls out to her husband, Arthur, “Arthur! Oh, my love, I am so glad you have come! Kiss me!.”” (Stoker, 172) Lucy, now asks Arthur for a kiss, which goes against what an ideal women would do. Lucy, being a women, in her vampire form takes the lead for a kiss, which is a sexual act. Sexual acts were only meant for men to carry out and lead. Lucy also conveys her beliefs to Mina by stating that, “I supposed that we women are such cowards that we think a man will save us from fears, and we marry him.” (Stoker, 62 ) Lucy comments about women marrying men thinking that they are superior being who will protect them from any fear of theirs. Through this quote Lucy, depicts Victorian women’s acceptance of dependence on a male figure (their husbands). Lucy thinks of such women as coward and hence she fits the “New Women” role of wanting to be an independent strong women.

The three female vampires, are overtly sexualized women, who display their sexuality which goes against the Victorian Era ideals. These female vampires also represent “New Women”. When Jonathan comes to realize that he is alone in Dracula’s castle, he states, “I am alone in the castle with those awful women. Faugh! Mina is a woman, and there is nought in common. They are devils of the Pit!” (Stoker, 57) This shows the fear of female sexuality that consumed men during the Victorian times. Jonathan refers to the female vampires as “awful women”, whereas he calls Mina “a women”. Stoker’s choice of words, show a clear distinction between the “new women” and “ideal women”. They are also referred to as devils, which shows the fear that people possess for women who are involved in acts of sexual display. Towards the end of the novel, Van Helsing describes the female vampires by saying, “[….] then the beautiful eyes of the fair woman open and look love, and the voluptuous mouth present to a kiss—and man is weak.” (Stoker, 402) Van Helsing states that the female vampires are dangerous to their male dominant society, due to their display of sexuality. The idea of females imposing themselves on men is not something that represents an ideal women. The female vampires throughout the book are hence seen as the “New Women”.

Stoker uses Mina, Lucy and the three female vampires to make a clear distinction between the ideal “Victorian Women” and the “New Women”. In Dracula, the depiction of the three characters is used to portray the fact that a new women is very dangerous for the male dominant Victorian society. Stoker uses Mina to describe a traditional women, Lucy to describe the transition of a traditional women to modern one and the three female vampires as modern women in coincidence with the Women’s suffrage in England during the 20th century.”

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