Author: Little Woman

Throughout Victorian literature, women have been depicted with a dangerous beauty that seems to lure men into a trap, as if beauty is not a good thing but instead something to be feared. In the era of the emerging New Woman, unrestricted female sexuality had become a concern and often was the point of criticism as women were making a point of leaving their domestic sphere.

In Michael Field’s The Birth of Venus, Venus the goddess of love, sex, and beauty is depicted as having coiling hair. Yet coiling hair is a characteristic of Medusa, who comes from similar mythology, yet holds a very different symbolism than Venus. Medusa is a monster in which has coiling hair that takes the form of snakes, each curl it’s own individual snake. Any person who gazed upon her face would thereby turn to stone, left to face a dangerous fate. As Venus is depicted as having this same coiling hair it can be inferred that she is hailed to have a similar lure of danger within her.

 

Yet this fear of the sexually free woman was not a new concept, as it is depicted in many Victorian tales, such as Dracula and Dionea. In Bram Stocker’s Dracula, the female vampires are held to a similar level of fear despite their seductive lure. The fear of women with unrestricted sexuality is shown through Stocker’s descriptions of the women as “repulsive” yet “voluptuous” and hand in hand the two seem to be implied as intertwined adjectives that do not come without the other.

Yet in Dionea this contrast seems even more clear, as Dionea is depicted as being, “an amazing little beauty, dark, lithe, with an odd ferocious gleam in her eyes, and a still odder smile, tortuous, serpentine” (9). Once again beauty is compared to snakes, leaving both Dionea and Venus in a similar resemblance of Medusa and beauty that needs to be feared.

In The Birth of Venus, there is a woman standing behind Venus, ready to cover her naked body and hide it from the view. The lines “In possession of the wind, Coiling hair in loosened shocks, Sways a girl who seeks to bind New-born beauty with a tress” symbolize the binding sphere that women were expected to exist in, the domestic sphere that women were not expected to diverge from (lines 6-9). In both Dionea and The Birth of Venus the beautiful woman ends up being trapped in one way or another, as Dionea is trapped inside her statue, and Venus is trapped by the clothing that the woman is bringing towards her.

During the era of the emerging New Woman, this seems to be an odd pretext set by Michael Field, especially as Michael Field is two female writers taking the name of a male. At first glance it seems to be a criticism of the New Woman, noting that despite their efforts they will be contained by society and stuck in their domestic roles. Yet on a deeper look, it reflects the choices that they themselves had to make to publish their work. Katherine Bradley and Edith Cooper although wonderful writers, were restricted to a role that did not include writing as women were not expected to exist within that sphere of literature. Just like in the terms of Dionea, the female vampire and Venus, their sexuality and perhaps aspirations were contained by society, restricted to a certain mold that they were unable to break out of. No matter how amazing of writers they were they were forced to write under the context of a male name, only making their fame as a single male writer as male writers were allowed to exist within the sphere of literature, while women were not.

 

(Fuse ODG writes of a dangerous love, the woman’s beauty described as dangerous as a gun. Beauty is seen as a tool that strengthen’s women to give them a power that other women do not have, making them dangerous.)

Throughout the 18th century, there was a constant looming of changing gender norms and movement in what defined male and female. With the new woman and sexuality being defined in new ways, the world was beginning to change in ways that people hadn’t known before, leaving an air of unease throughout England. What is sex and how do we define it? People were left with questions and others began to experiment and push the boundaries, leaving England in a sort of cultural dissonance.

One of the biggest questions of the time were women and the way in which they were seen. Women weren’t meant to be smart, they were expected to be docile creatures that were considered the property of their husbands. Throughout novels like Dracula and other Victorian literature, we see these gender norms being pushed and twisted as people began to blur the lines of what was expected. In Dracula, characters like Mina Harker, previously Mina Murray, stand to show the complications of a woman standing in a role not priorly taken by a woman. Mina Harker is a brilliant young woman whose problem solving skills and creativity saved not just the men around her but the entirety of England. Despite the fact that Mina had saved all of the men her credit remains ungiven and her brilliance unrecognized by those around her, as women were not expected to be intelligent and skilled in things other than cooking, cleaning and household chores. In one scene one of the men claims, “[Mina] has a man’s brain—a brain that a man should have were he much gifted—and a woman’s heart. The good God fashioned her for a purpose, believe me, when He made that so good combination.” This quote in specific holds a huge part in what was expected of women throughout the 18th century, and being intelligent was not something expected of women. What seems out of the ordinary in this section is that it is a female that is taking the characteristics of a male, or in particular a man’s brain.

Similarly, in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, there is a stark comparison of what is expected of women and what is expected of men. According to Lord Henry, “Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly.” Quite a cynical view is cast on the women throughout this book, treating them as if they have nothing to say or as if they, once again, do not compare to men in terms of intelligence. Within these terms, Dorian himself could similarly be considered in the terms of decorative, as the people around him seem to keep him around not for his brilliance but for his attractiveness and beauty. Lady Henry, although not a beautiful lady according to her description of untidiness, is described as being an incredible romantic. According to her husband, she is too sentimental, yet in a similar vain Dorian holds the familiar sentimental flush of love, speaking of his new found love of Sybil Vane. While women in this novel are described as lovers of romance, men like Lord Henry speak of a differing view, one quite less romantical. Whereas Mina Harker takes on roles of a man, Dorian takes on the roles of a woman, even taking care of the pouring of tea, which could be seen as his submissiveness as he is taking care of household chores.

This swapping of roles only further alludes to the confusion of sexuality and gender expectations that were being twisted throughout the 18th century. Sexuality was changing and people were expressing themselves in a way that was unknown to the public. There is an extreme distaste of women who are expressing themselves in a masculine way, whereas men like Dorian are simply belittled, spoken to as if they needed to be taught. This leaves a clear question in not just the minds of the people of the 18th century, but the people of the modern day: Can gender be defined?

 

((Similarly in P!nk’s “Beautiful Drama” music video we see a similar swapping of sex characteristics))

The conscious fear of beauty seems to be a prevalent fear across history, not simply in the past but carrying over from literature all the way to the present.

Throughout the story of Dionea by Vernon Lee, the topic of demonic beauty is a constant theme and fear lingering within the minds of the society in which they live in.

This fear translates over to the fear of the beautiful vampires within Bram Stockers Dracula.

One of the biggest fears that translate directly from Dionea to Dracula is the linking of beauty and fear within the texts. Within Dionea we meet the main character who is feared for her strange actions and stunning beauty. In one section it claims, “Dionea appeared, rather out of place, an amazing little beauty, dark, lithe, with an odd ferocious gleam in her eyes, and a still odder smile, tortuous, serpentine” (9). Whereas beauty is not usually described as being so horrifying, in this case, beauty is seen as a threat, or perhaps a weapon. They create a pretense of not trusting those with strange inhumane beauty, especially in Dracula. This is the case in the scene on page 44 of Bram Stocker’s Dracula, “All three had brilliant white teeth that shone like pearls against the ruby of their voluptuous lips. There was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fear.” Once again the reaction to beauty is related to a fear and a distrust in a strange way.

Throughout reading these texts I have related this fear to the fear and distrust of promiscuity, which although specifically looked down upon in the Victorian ages, still holds an air of taboo. This fear of promiscuity plays a role in both texts, specifically on page 20 of Dionea, “The thought of stripping for the view of a man, which would send a shudder through our most brazen village girls, seemed not to startle her, immaculate and savage as she is accounted.” Linked to the distrust by the commonplace person in society, is the breaking of standards and the blatant promiscuity and sexuality of women. This is also played out within Dracula when Jonathan portrays the scene where the vampiric women are about to sucks his blood as “there was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive” (45). Stocker’s intentions of this scene suggest, just as Vernon Lee’s, the fear of promiscuity.

Similarly, the fear of promiscuity seems to be translated into the disgust of women who are as bold as Dionea and the three vampiric ladies. This is shown by the words in which Jonathan Harker chooses, as he articulates the women as “repulsive” yet “voluptuous” and hand in hand the two seem to be implied as intertwined adjectives.

With the lingering fear of the New women in the Victorian era, it can be interpreted as the fear of women abandoning their motherly role within the household being portrayed throughout literature. This fear, although a more modern version of it, still plays a role in everyday life. Stigmas of the beautiful seem to have diminished mostly, yet the distrust of sexual women seems to be an ever prevalent thing of daily life. With slut shaming and similar acts against women, it seems that we still fear the overly sexual woman, possibly as much as Jonathan Harker may have or the townspeople against Dionea.

 

(Similarly “She’s so Mean” by Matchbox Twenty seems to speak of a beautiful lady in which is mildly feared and considered to be mean throughout the song.)

Sally Ledger and Roger Luckhurst’s “Reading the ‘Fin De Siecle’” they note that the historicization of sexuality in the Victorian Era as a thoroughly social rather than natural category encouraged further research. In 1885 the act of “gross indecency” between men was criminalized. Meanwhile, the characters in Dracula seem to display such acts of “gross indecency” between men throughout the entire book. The Count himself seems to hold tendencies of one who is interested in the same sex, his words often revealing his true intent.

“How dare you touch him, any of you? How dare you cast eyes on him when I had forbidden it?” Dracula questions in a moment of anger when his man is ‘stolen’. Yes, his man. Count Dracula claims that Jonathan Harker is his property, which seemingly puts Jonathan in a female role. During this time period, women were often seen as the property of their husbands, only furthering the issue that Count Dracula views his prisoner Jonathan Harker as his property. Although never explicitly stated by the Count, Dracula often displays many tendencies of someone who is interested in men rather than women. According to the Fin De Siecle “Many literacy histories have begun to seek hidden lines between contemporary ‘queer’ identities and those of the late Victorian period, … emerging modern sexualities.” 

Throughout the beginning chapters of the novel, the Count shows various forms of forcing Jonathan Harker into what was seemingly a feminine role. During the time that Harker stays with the Count, he is forced to stay in the house at all times. Women held a role in the house, while men were expected to work. The Count proves that he can provide for Harker, cooking meals, cleaning, and maintaining financial stability all at the same time without any help from his male companion. By treating Harker in this role, the count would be deviating from normalcy, which in Ledger and Luckhurst’s terms would consider him a degenerate.

Without Harker’s compliance, the Count easily manipulates him into a feminine role in which he is seen as only good for amusement or perhaps penetrating. Later in the scene in which the female vampires try to suck Harker’s blood, the count saves him and claims “I promise you that when I am done with him you shall kiss him at your will.” This put Harker, not in a state of property, but a state of property that has no true owner. The Count doesn’t see Jonathan as a human being that needs dedication, yet a human that can be disposed of when he grows bored with him, just as many men of the time had seen women.

One other moment where the Count’s sexuality is questioned is when the female vampires claim that he does not love, yet he turns to Harker and claims that the fact is untrue. “You yourself never loved; you never love!” The women claim, clearly resenting the fact that he does not love them as they are female. Yet without hesitation, Dracula turns to face Harker, claiming “Yes, I too can love” as if to prove himself or reassure Harker, the one he seems to see as his partner.

The topic of emerging sexuality in Ledger and Luckhurst’s article is key in Dracula as it brings to light the conflict that Count Dracula is dealing with. As they coin Oscar Wilde as ‘Queer as Fuck’ perhaps, Dracula too, is “Queer as fuck”

To the creatures, Dr. Moreau is God, he is the creator and the master to which they answer to. By instilling a sort of social code into his creatures Moreau taints his intentions, making it clear that this was not just about the physiological science but the psychological science within it. These are qualities of life that regular animals do not hold, qualities that Moreau had to teach them. Moreau believes that he religiously can understand God, making him a successor of his will, “I fancy I have seen more of the ways of this world’s Maker than you – for I have sought his laws, in my way, all my life, while you, I understand, have been collecting butterflies” (55). He is not just a scientist in his own mind, but the successor of God’s will, having been given the knowledge he has to further humanity. In his mind, there was no one else that was meant to do what he has, not because it’s immoral and cruel, but because his fate is much grander than that of any other scientist. Moreau claims, “This extraordinary branch of knowledge has never been sought as an end, and systematically, by modern investigators, until I took it up! … I was the first man to take up this question armed with antiseptic surgery, and with a real scientific knowledge of the laws of growth” (53). With the tools and knowledge he had gathered throughout his life, there was no other man like Moreau than to pass knowledge onto humanity and to improve upon their species.

Dr. Moreau as a character has more knowledge and experience with science than any other characters. Those who have knowledge hold a power over those who do not. Moreau seemingly understands his dominance in social positions and names himself both master and little God of his island. With the power to take one animal and shape it into another Dr. Moreau dictates that he has the power to create new beings. He seems to see himself in a view as a sculptor of creatures, their creator, “These creatures you have seen are animals carven and wrought into new shapes.” (53). Lines like this seem to imply that he was doing this to create not a false humanity of creatures unbeknownst to the world, yet whether he could perfect all creatures around him. In his mind, to become perfect an animal must become human, which seems to be his exact intention for choosing the human being as the mold. While on page 54 he claims that he had chosen that form by chance, it seems that the only form which could be perfect would be the human being of whom has a higher sense of knowledge and emotionality. He claims, “I suppose there is something in the human form that appeals to the artistic turn of the mind more powerfully than any animal shape can” yet this does not seem to be what he is implying (54). The human form is more artistic because Moreau does not see beauty in animals and different species, he sees beauty in humanity and singularly humanity. Yet taking the mold of a human was not enough, it would only be enough once they thought and acted as humans rather than animals. “A pig may be educated… Very much of what we call moral education is such an artificial modification and perversion of instinct; pugnacity is trained into courageous self-sacrifice, and suppressed sexuality into religious emotion” (54). There was something in the act of being an animal that Moreau instilled in the creatures was not allowed, “I turn them out when I begin to feel the beast in them… they all dread this house and me. There is a kind of travesty of humanity over there. They only sicken me with a sense of failure” (59). Moreau feels intense feelings against the creatures that act as they are, sees that if they are not perfect and human, they are not to be at all. I believe that he feels this way as it is a rejection of his godliness. If he cannot create or improve upon the animal, to create an animal that looks and acts like a human, he sees himself as unworthy, or a failure. This seems quite reminiscent of The Fin De Siecle, as they discuss the intertwining between science and religion. The more science became prominent, the more religion did as well, rather than canceling itself out. In Moreau’s life, the more science became important, the more he recognized himself as a religious figure to the creatures, designating himself in a state of godliness and power.