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In the 19th century, women were considered the weaker, more innocent sex. ... Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ depicts many sides of the Victorian female role in the 19th century. ... This paper is intended to explore these characters and their respective personalities in order to gain a deeper insight into the diverse roles and ramifications of Victorian female sexuality.
Mina Murray, Jonathan Harkers fiancée, is portrayed as the ideal embodiment of Victorian female virtue. Van Helsing expresses these preconceptions of the Victorian age female as he praises Minas character, "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" (Chapter XIV, pp. ...
The portrayal of the "Weird Sisters" presents a significant dichotomy between themselves and Minas character. The three female vampires represent the threat of rampant female sexuality, and are thusly seductive, lustful and unabashedly sexual. ... When comparing such behavior to the pure and innocent perception of a character such as Mina the characters antithesis becomes glaring.
Caught between these two extremes is the character of Lucy Westenra. Although Lucy possesses the qualities of a virtuous Victorian woman, she betrays what will become a fatal flaw: her openness to sexual adventure.
Approximate Word count = 934
Approximate Pages = 3.7
(250 words per page double spaced)
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