Going off of our discussion in class, I want to continue the conversation illuminating the overlap between Dionea and Dracula. Obviously, Dionea incorporates supernatural and mythological elements similar to how Dracula includes myth and superstition, but as we pointed to, the overlap is much more profound in the characterization throughout these two stories and the polarized spectrum constituting protagonists vs antagonists.
To this point, understanding Dionea becomes all the more complicated. Particularly through narration, does this story have quite a unique approach towards its presentation of narrative. One could say that Dionea is the protagonist, the main character whom we divert much if not all of our attention too. This is not entirely the case though, as Dr. De Rosis is the narrator, and the perspective guiding the entire story. His opinion of Dionea, though seemingly cruel and illogical, is a lens that we as readers are forced to understand her through.
Dracula follows a similar form of narration, though, rather than just one narrator, there are many in this novel. Many narrators preoccupied with one person: Dracula. Similarly to Dionea, we are never offered Dracula’s perspective. Instead we are provided with others who, maybe you could argue, share cruel opinions of the vampire.
To further compare the characterization of Dionea and Dracula, it’s not hard to see how their characterization is constituted in dehumanization. Dionea is consistently referred to as a “creature” (Lee 11), while Jonathan consistently refers to Dracula as a “lizard” (Stoker 31). These comparisons, while seemingly just minor jabs towards the antagonist (yes Dionea is not an antagonist per say but is treated as one by the narrator), illuminate what can be interpreted as xenophobic narrators fearful of difference.
What I thought was really interesting about the narrative style of Dionea was that Dr. DeRossi was writing letters to Lady Evelyn, and he’d respond to letters from her, but we never got to see her reaction to Dionea and the stories DeRossi shared about her. I think it was interesting that the two women were connected in the first place, because from what little we know about Lady Evelyn, they seem to be on two end of a social spectrum; Lady Evelyn is royalty, well read and respected; while Dionea doesn’t have an interest in books, is a witch, and is far from respected. One of their few similarities seems to be that neither really belong in the small town where the story takes place (maybe why neither have a voice), which could connect back to the same idea in Dracula.