“My revenge is just begun! I spread it over centuries, and time is on my side. Your girls that you all love are mine already; and through them you and others shall yet be mine—my creatures, to do my bidding and to be my jackals when I want to feed.”
Throughout the 19th century novel Dracula written by Bram Stoker, there are many instances of sex and power intertwining, as well as separately. The basis of the story is a seductive vampire (Count Dracula) who preys on young women, in a time in which sexuality is extremely shunned in Victorian society. Women at this time were seen as pure only in the circumstances of having their virginity or through marriage, where they were being “saved” to be a man’s wife someday. Power is another large undertone in Dracula, as men during this time period were especially in a better position than women. Dracula is immortal, the greatest power of them all, he holds the ability to seduce and manipulate, as well as having an uncanny ability to use his powers for his own advantage. Dracula’s actions are a prime example of how when left unchecked, men’s sexual desires can become dangerously tied into gain of power in this period of time. When Dracula victimized Mina and Lucy, he took away their “purity” and led them into a lifestyle of having the possibility of greater “freedom” (they now have the ability to live forever), yet with greater social consequences.
I really enjoyed this post. You talk about how men are in a position of power, especially Dracula as he is portrayed as immortal. I believe a juxtaposition happens from Lucy turning into a vampire. When she turns down this dark path, although she is not one with her soul and true self, she starts to become aggressive and powerful. Stoker’s vampires shows power from females, which was uncommon in Victorian society, but quite common in the literature we have read in this class.
I really enjoyed this post and how you discussed how, for women to gain power in this story, they have to be turned into vampires and then be eradicated by the seemingly righteous religious men, but could it be that this is a commentary on how Victorian society treats women now that they are attempting to break out of the patriarchal mode of thinking. With this lens, Lucy and Mina are presented as cautionary tales; yes, they can live forever, but they will be stopped in the end. Even Dracula, who is male, is eventually destroyed by this group of men who hold themselves on a pedestal, which allows this question to continue, possibly in class: who is the most powerful in the novel?
I really like how you interpreted and interlace power with men of the time. I also like Dracula’s existence, his immortality grants him an insane level of power, allowing him to transcend the constraints of time and even the constraints of society, which would also explain the sexual undertones of his being. This timeless quality reinforces the idea that unchecked male desires, when combined with power, can honestly perpetuate a cycle of dominance and victimization.
Dracula’s immortality grants him an unparalleled level of power, allowing him to transcend the constraints of time and exert influence over generations. This timeless quality reinforces the idea that unchecked male desires, when combined with power, can perpetuate a cycle of dominance and victimization.
I really like that you brought attention to these intertwined themes of sex and power that are consistent throughout the novel. Women in the victorian era were expected to maintain their purity and virtue until marriage, and often looked down on if that purity was disturbed. Dracula’s seductive or, if you will, predatory nature challenges this paradigm. He preys upon young women, effectively robbing them of their innocence and gives them “freedom” (immortality), which causes the young women severe social consequences. This is a reflection of how unchecked desires can lead to manipulation for personal gain. Another theme that I noticed in “Dracula” was the abuse of power, which we can easily tie to Dracula himself when he claims the girls and says, “…my creatures, to do my bidding and to be my jackals when I want to feed.”