Women In Dracula
Bram Stoker used his characters in Dracula to help portray the death of the Victorian Woman and the birth of the New Woman. During this time, women didn’t have the equal rights that men did. During the 19th century, women weren’t able to vote and usually stayed home to be housewives. This shows that women were accustomed to the conventional Victorian lifestyle, which meant that they rarely did anything outside of the house. Victorian woman didn’t play a big role in society, and were known as the less superior gender. However, the death of the Victorian Woman created a “New Woman:” a woman to show that this is now a time to change people's opinions and prove that women could be just as intelligent as men.
The end of the 1800’s meant nearing …show more content…
Dr. Seward and Van Helsing were trying to tell Mina to stay home, but she isn’t like most woman. Mina wanted to be different and do everything the men could do. She signifies the start of the New Woman by aiding the men in capturing Dracula. Although Mina does not represent an actual “New Woman,” but rather a combination of both the Victorian woman and the “New Woman,” she is still a symbol for intelligence and bravery. The New Woman worked, went out, and sometimes even had affairs with men. They were also known to be too aggressive or even manly. Mina was the perfect mix. She was able to put herself in situations to help others while comforting the men in anyway possible. At one point in the story Dr. Seward even lauds Mina for having a heart of a woman, but a man's brain. Even though Mina’s best friend, Lucy, was a little flirtatious with men Mina was quite the opposite. She loved her soon to be husband Jonathan, and even went on a journey to an unknown place to help him when he was sick. Even when Dracula preyed on Mina she didn’t stop helping to destroy the vampire. Van Helsing started to hypnotize Mina everywhere they would go so that Mina would be able to tell the men a little of where Dracula was located. Frankly, Stoker used the characters in his book to distinguish the grave difference between the old Victorian woman, and the New Woman that we have
The end of the 1800’s meant nearing …show more content…
Dr. Seward and Van Helsing were trying to tell Mina to stay home, but she isn’t like most woman. Mina wanted to be different and do everything the men could do. She signifies the start of the New Woman by aiding the men in capturing Dracula. Although Mina does not represent an actual “New Woman,” but rather a combination of both the Victorian woman and the “New Woman,” she is still a symbol for intelligence and bravery. The New Woman worked, went out, and sometimes even had affairs with men. They were also known to be too aggressive or even manly. Mina was the perfect mix. She was able to put herself in situations to help others while comforting the men in anyway possible. At one point in the story Dr. Seward even lauds Mina for having a heart of a woman, but a man's brain. Even though Mina’s best friend, Lucy, was a little flirtatious with men Mina was quite the opposite. She loved her soon to be husband Jonathan, and even went on a journey to an unknown place to help him when he was sick. Even when Dracula preyed on Mina she didn’t stop helping to destroy the vampire. Van Helsing started to hypnotize Mina everywhere they would go so that Mina would be able to tell the men a little of where Dracula was located. Frankly, Stoker used the characters in his book to distinguish the grave difference between the old Victorian woman, and the New Woman that we have