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Bram Stoker uses the personas of Sharon Westenra and Mina Harker in his story Dracula to research the essential advantages of a “New Woman” in Victorian England. Written through the late nineteenth century, this kind of novel come about out of the time where the long organised traditions of men being perceived as remarkable and operating with power over their particular submissive feminine counterparts was changing. Makes such as the suffragette movement went these improvements, and out of this arose the idea of the “New Woman” that has been based upon two major shifts in woman values: an increase in intellectual goal and more sex autonomy. The fates of Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra following their activities with Dracula differ as a result of different characteristics of the “New Woman” that they embrace.
Mina Harker is the representation of an “ideal” woman through this novel. First of all, she is naturally maternal and nurturing, as evidenced by the scene in which she comforts Quincey Morris and produces, “We females have something of the mother in all of us that makes us rise above more compact matters if the mother-spirit can be invoked, My spouse and i felt this kind of big, sorrowing man’s brain resting in me, like it were that of the baby that sooner or later may rest on my bosom, and I stroked his hair as though he were my own, personal child” (230). Through acknowledging the presence of an inherent “mother-spirit” within just her, Mina suggests that a part of her female identity lies in being a mom. The presence of somebody in relax automatically mirrors a mother’s response within just her, and once this response occurs, the act to be a mother overpowers all other urges. Second of all, Mina maintains a belief through the novel that men will be superior, possibly exclaiming at one level, “Oh, say thanks to God permanently brave males! ” (311). Mina’s comprehension of her interpersonal position because inferior for the men in her your life ensures that she does not threaten their electricity. During Even victorian times, the only aspect of life in which a girl was believed to be superior to a guy was in her ability to raise children. Through Mina’s mother’s instincts, the girl demonstrates having the capability of being a wonderful mother, and coupled with her nonthreatening attitude towards men, Ganga proves to be the ideal Even victorian woman. However , she also embraces aspects of the brand new Woman. Ganga is familiar with advanced technologies of that time period, such as typewriters and producing in short. She also educates herself, actually memorizing coach schedules “so that [she] may help Jonathan in case he is in a hurry” (186). Mina’s intellect reflects “New Woman” features, but she approaches her knowledge so that preserves classic Victorian values as well. Rather than using mind to increase her independence, Sl?ktens educates very little in order to keep program her hubby, and to aid him whenever possible. In doing so , she additional ensures that she does not obstacle the superiority in the men in her life, but rather functions to complement their very own power.
On the other hand, Lucy embraces the aspect of the brand new Woman that calls for more sexual autonomy, and Stoker suggests that in the long run the reason for her inability to survive. She is referred to as ‘voluptuous’ over the novel, and makes inappropriate comments, such as, “why can’t that they let a female marry three men, or perhaps as many as need her, and save this all trouble? ” (59). This suggestion of wanting to marry three diverse men would be considered extremely controversial in Victorian times. Lucy’s libido threatens in a number of power, as evidenced by her description of Quincey Morris proposing to her, and exactly how he “began pouring out an ideal torrent of love-making, laying his incredibly heart and soul by [her] feet” (58). Quincey is prone in this position because Lucy has each of the power, great vulnerability can be strengthened the moment she denies his pitch, a energetic that occurs once again when the girl rejects John Seward. The very fact that three men recommended to Sharon in one day suggests that your woman had been talking to all three concurrently, which illustrates her freely flirtatious personality. Furthermore, Sharon doesn’t demonstrate a mother’s instinct in any way throughout the new. In fact , once turned into a vampire, your woman hunts children, and throws a baby on to the ground, disclosing that your woman not only does not exhibit her maternal behavioral instinct, but that she does not have one at all. This makes Sharon incompetent inside the one aspect of womanhood through which she is designed to excel, recommending that promiscuity and maternity can not are present together. Also, Lucy’s engagement with 3 men simultaneously and her longing to marry all three demonstrates the negative effects of a woman with a more open sexuality, as it intends the superiority of men over women that Stoker believed was essential in maintaining sociable order.
The different reasons for why Dracula attacks every character also works as a reflection of their Fresh Woman attributes. Lucy, who may be Dracula’s first victim, is attacked as a result of her weeknesses. Her much less restricted libido leaves her more subjected to men, plus the ease by which Dracula can visit her in the evening demonstrates that. The night after Lucy is usually bitten by simply Dracula in the graveyard, Ganga recounts that “twice during the night [she] was awakened by simply Lucy looking to get out. The girl seemed, in her rest, to be a very little impatient for finding the door shut” (93). Lucy’s unconscious attempts to satisfy with Dracula shows that she’s easily took on compliancy, and that she is not really fighting against his visits. Mina, however, is deeply opposed to Dracula’s attacks. After first finding out she has recently been bitten, the lady exclaims, “Unclean! Unclean! I need to touch him or hug him not any more” (284). Her instant disgust and reluctance is an opposite reaction to Lucy’s. Unlike Sharon, Mina solves to combat against what is going on instead of succumbing to Dracula’s desires, which is in the end the reason why all their fates are very different.
Ganga survives the attacks due to her socially correct tendencies, whereas Lucy dies because of her not enough them. Through her firm, intellect, and resourcefulness, Ganga is able to assist the men within their hunt for Dracula. She is the one who compiles all the paperwork and evidence which allows get the story of the search organized in a collective body. She also uses her psychic connection with Dracula to the men’s advantage, hence turning her misfortune in a important useful resource. Lucy, on the other hand, is completely weak. She relies entirely for the men to keep her secure, and is not able to assist in any way. She quickly turns bad, and it is defined that her “sweetness was turned to adamantine, heartless cruelty, and the purity to voluptuous wantonness” (211). This verse clearly demonstrates that Sharon was not able to fend himself from the effects of vampirism, which she descended into that evil their self. Through Lucy’s inability to fight against Dracula’s impact, Stoker suggests that when a girl embraces her sexuality, her morals will be weakened. While Lucy succumbs to a ancestry into monstrosity, Mina has the capacity to fight it. Her solid morals enable her to prevent Dracula’s sessions and keep her soul real, despite getting bitten by simply him. John Seward details Mina like a “sweet, nice, good, good woman out of all radiant beauty of her youth and animation, while using red scratch on her forehead of which she was conscious” (309). The repetition of the words “sweet” and “good” emphasize the persistence of Mina’s real characteristics despite her condition. This demonstrates Mina continues to be good at cardiovascular system, so that once Dracula’s body is destroyed, Mina’s body is capable of regain its natural purity. This straight opposes Sharon, who manages to lose all her purity as a result of her lack of ability to deal with against the bad within her.
Lucy and Mina’s outcomes after being bitten by Dracula are determined through the qualities of the Fresh Woman that they embrace. Mitt pursues to expand her intellect and knowledge that allows her to fight against Dracula. Nevertheless , she continue to holds on important Victorian values of possessing a strong maternal intuition and does not attempt to threaten the authority of men. However, Lucy switches into more intimate openness and promiscuity, resulting in a worsening of her morals and an failure to prevent a descent into evil. This symbolizes Stoker’s perception of female sexuality as unfavorable or unwanted. Because of Mina’s strong can, she is capable to play a huge role in Dracula’s defeat, while Lucy’s helplessness and ‘voluptuousness’ results in her death. Through these different fates, Stoker suggests that several characteristics of the New Girl will allow women to thrive, whereas others will make them weaker and ultimately result in their incapability to survive in society.
