Throughout the novel thus far, we have been introduced to quite a few female characters, but most importantly Mina Harker and Lucy Westerna (and, well, the three female vampires). Living in the time of the British Victorian era, these women were confined to fulfilling clearly-defined social standards. That entailed appearing pure, polite, abstinent – all together virtuous, really. Luckily for readers, Mina Harker and Lucy Westerna seem to encapsulate all that a Victorian woman should. While Mina may be considered stronger and more resourceful, and Lucy weaker yet attractive nonetheless, they both possess the “womanly quality” of virtuousness – which is a necessity for women surviving in the time. Well, that is, if one is aiming to look favorable in the public eye.
However, the three female vampires pose a threat to this conception that women should be polite, pure, and collected. In all actuality, they are poles apart, as they are exceedingly sexual in behavior (“The fair girl went on her knees, and bent over me, fairly gloating. There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal….” p. 43) and violent in action (“The women closed round, whilst I was aghast with horror; but as I looked, they disappeared, and with them the dreadful bag” p. 45). They even feed on a baby child! Alright, I may be going out on a limb here, but I think this sharp contrast between Mina & Lucy (well, before Lucy becomes a vampire) and the three, voluptuous women is trying to point at something much more complex about the structure of Victorian society. What if Stoker added these three, female vampires into the novel to awaken the emotions of society, especially men? Think about it: while men dived into the novel, they were forced into a new world – a world where women existed completely different from that their wife. Rather than following the “guidelines” of the domestic sphere, men were forced to read about a world where women are repulsive, and engage in acts such as fellatio (or blood sucking?) in the presence of others. Stoker is doing something very different here – something that conflicts with Victorian norms. He is transforming women from elegant and proper individuals to diabolical creatures hungry for sex and, more importantly, blood. Worst of all: what if male readers are enjoying this impolite description of women? To the people of the Victorian era, this truly was a terrifying thought: that very degenerate, sexual beings can exist in an ever-so genteel society.
In your post you write that “He is transforming women from elegant and proper individuals to diabolical creatures hungry for sex and, more importantly, blood.” However, based on my reading of Dracula, I think that this particular claim does not capture the nuance of Lucy’s character. I would actually argue that Stoker is not transforming women in the manner you describe, but rather he allows Lucy to break the conventional taboos of Victorian femininity and sexual desire. Lucy was already predisposed to break the conventional norms of strict Victorian morality, as we know from her letter to Mina in chapter five where she writes “Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble?”(67). From the beginning, then, Lucy can be seen as a more liberal thinker in terms of sex and desire. Because of this, she doesn’t get transformed, she merely embraces the promise of liberation inherent in the Count.
It is very interesting to see how Lucy is portrayed in contrast to the three female vampires. The scene where Jonathan Harker is desired and pursued by these three voluptuous women is later contrasted by Lucy’s three male suitors. While British men are pursued by sexually aggressive foreign women, British women are virtuous and enough as to be the object of many men’s love with no mention of sexual desire from either party. While Lucy does regret having to deny two men’s marriage proposals, that is portrayed as her reluctance to break any man’s heart and her kindness towards all. This contrasts clearly with the wickedness of the Transylvanian vampires who are violent and “repulsive.” I think making characters like Lucy and Mina out to be exceedingly loving and virtuous, while only foreign women are sexual, Stoker is showing some of the Xenophobia which Beckerda and Mr. Seek mention in their posts. He may not be transforming female sexuality, but shaming it as demonic and foreign.
Although I read the three female vampires as being very sexual, I did not think about the effects of this sexuality on men during this time. It is a very interesting concept, and I think we can see this concept in Lady Audley’s Secret as well. In Lady Audley’s Secret, Lady Audley is seen to have this power over men because of her beauty. Her beauty is so alarming to others, that she ends up tricking George into marrying her originally, then Sir Michael Audley later. This arises the question how society reacted and if it was considered taboo to read these books in public, and they were only read in the privacy of one’s own home.
I think that sexuality and gender norms in this book are a huge theme. The fact that there is a juxtaposition between women like Mina and Lucy and the three women vampires is an obvious indicator of the thoughts of women at that time. Just as we saw in Lady Audley’s secret, Victorian literature plays on the fear of non-conforming women in society. The authors ask the question: What happens if a woman decides to go against societal norms? Of course, the author provides an exaggerated image to incite the readers, but those images represent something of greater importance–the fear of over-sexualized, non-conforming women.