In Dracula, all the main characters have money, however, the maids do not, and because of this, they are portrayed as thoughtless idiots, whose trauma gets ignored. In the crazy deadly night from chapter eleven, the maids get poisoned. Dr. Seward goes to wake them, and this is how he describes the encounter. “I was stern with them, however, and would not let them talk. I told them one life was bad enough to lose, and that if they delayed they would sacrifice Miss Lucy.” (158 Stoker) These maids were the only fully alive people in the house last night. This means they know a lot more information than the two men who just walked in. However, because they are third-class citizens, they are believed to be useless. These two men think simply because they are rich and men, that they are the only ones who can figure out what happened. At this time they do not know about the letter hidden in Lucy’s chest, therefore, they do not listen to the maids because they are female maids and not because they have other information. It is also clear in the way Dr. Seward speaks to them how low he thinks of them. He speaks to them as though they are children. It is blatantly obvious how bad it is to lose a life. These maids are very aware of this fact. Not only is this statement belittling their intelligence, but it is also belittling their trauma. These maids just saw their boss die, and then got poisoned. While yes, Lucy and her mom had it worse, but, if these people were not maids, and were instead Lucy’s friend, or someone of the upper class, Dr. Seward would be much more mindful of their feelings. If you and all your coworkers were to get drugged, then you would need at least a minute to process what just happened. After this statement, he goes on to say, ” So, sobbing and crying, they went about their way, half-clad”. (158 Stoker) Dr. Seward does not even give a second thought to the fact that they are rightfully very upset. To make matters worse, they are not even fully dressed. At this time not being fully dressed around anyone outside of your family was extremely shameful, especially men. However, he did not even give a second thought to their feelings.
One thought on “The Traumatized Not-Idiot”
Comments are closed.
I appreciated your focus on what may be perceived as an inconsequential moment in the broader context of the story. Stoker’s exploration of class is fascinating, and through characters like Renfield and the maids, the reader is given a glimpse into the classism permeating the upper-class characters Dracula focuses on. Your textual analysis was very revealing, and the implications you uncovered about Seward’s behavior are horrifying.