My claim about Dracula is through the lens of the 19th century, and it is that when women are perceived to have power, which is equivalent to control over their future, it eventually backfires and leads to a perception of malignance by society. In other words, when a woman has the slightest power, she is seen as dangerous and a threat to social construction. This is also a direct commentary on how 19th-century gender roles stifle women. Lucy is an example of this. She starts in the book with excitement about her newfound power, illustrated by this quote: “Oh, Mina, I am so happy that I don’t know what to do with myself. And three proposals!” (Chapter 5). Marriage in the 19th century is often the only way women can begin to feel powerful. Marriage meant that women were socially protected and, in some cases, elevated to a higher social status. In Lucy’s case, she chose Arthur, who is a Lord, so she gets both benefits of marriage. However, as the novel continues, she falls ill, and her agency over her body and mind slips away until she meets her untimely end. This is a direct attempt to strip her of her last choice: to live. While she had perceived control over her decisions with the marriage proposals, I argue that she never had agency over all aspects of her life. Her sickness is a metaphor for how society punishes women when they have power over themselves. As the text continues, Lucy is lying on her deathbed; she is seen with “Pale gums, drawn back made the teeth look longer and sharper than ever” (Chapter 12). This is a direct characteristic of vampirism and illustrates how even though she is portrayed as a frail young woman, she bores the mark of her punishment in the form of fangs. This is further evidence that women who do not fit stereotypical gender roles are seen as participating in horrifying breaks of social conventions. It also suggests that if a woman desires to have agency, they must be seen as less than human by society.