Mina Harker's Steampunk In Dracula

The genre of Steampunk itself, with its storytelling and “what-if” scenarios, is possibly responsible for creating many of the more well known characters ever created in literary history. During the trademark era of Steampunk in Victorian England, the characters were a bit more restricted in how they portray themselves because of the idea of the gentleman and the modern woman. What if these characters weren't held back by these restrictions? The removal of the boundary of social stature would definitely reveal a more interesting side to so many different characters. This is especially true when analyzing the character of Mina Murray, from the novels Dracula and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
The essential characters of famous Steampunk …show more content…
Each adventure, from the recovery of the cavorite to the destruction of Manchu’s base, relies on Mina’s strength under fire. Her reasoning skills under dangerous circumstances, as well as her physical strength and talents at leading a group of fairly strong men are a testament to the potential of women at that time when not held down by the anchor of Victorian prejudices.
Mina from Dracula and Mina from The League are both women from Victorian Gothic novels, yet they could not be more different. In Dracula, Mina Harker has some internal strength, but is dominated by the men in the novel. Her husband Jonathan, Van Helsing, and even the Count have taken advantage of her weakness and need to conform to the morals of Victorian society. Despite being a woman with intelligence, the treatment by and behavior of those around her would not let her expand past her expected role within these …show more content…
These societal expectations were evident in the portrayals of characters in the literature of the day. The extent to which society affected social behavior, especially in women, can be exposed by comparing the personality of the same character as written in two different novels. Such was the case of Mina Harker. In Dracula, Mina was an intelligent, forward thinking woman who never reached her full potential because of the suffocating moral code of the day. Yet, in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Mina Murray was free of the suffocating confines of the Victorian class structure. Whether because she rejected the notion that anyone else could restrict her rights, or because she surrounded herself with others who gave her the room to make the most of her talents, Mina lived by her own rules and her companions could appreciate and admire her strength and skills without feeling threatened by them. The difference between these two portrayals of the same woman was caused by the adherence to a moral and social code by one, but not by the