Dracula: A Reflection of Victorian Fears

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a complex novel that can be interpreted in many different ways. However, one of its central themes is the fear and anxiety that Victorians felt about the changing world around them. The novel’s exploration of sexuality, gender roles, and the rise of technology all reflect the anxieties of the time. The novel explores the rise of new technologies, such as blood transfusions and typewriters. These technologies are seen as both beneficial and dangerous. On the one hand, they can be used to save lives. On the other hand, they can also be used to create new forms of evil, such as the vampire Lucy Westenra. The novel also challenges traditional Victorian gender roles. Mina Harker, is a strong and intelligent woman who takes charge of the group’s fight against Dracula. This contrasts with the more passive and traditional role of women such as Lucy Westenra, Dracula’s other victim. Dracula is a seductive figure who preys on women, and his victims are often portrayed as being sexually awakened by him. This reflects the Victorian fear of female sexuality, which was seen as a dangerous and uncontrollable force. Stoker’s use of these themes reflects the anxieties that Victorians felt about the changing world around them. The Industrial Revolution was transforming society, and traditional values were being challenged. Stoker’s novel explores these anxieties through the figure of Dracula, a creature from the past who threatens to destroy the modern world. “The old centuries had, of course, been cruel to women, but the new time was keener and crueller still. They had lost their old place in men’s lives, and had not yet found a new one. They were no longer needed for the hard work of the world, and they were still debarred from the most of its activities. They were the slaves of convention, and they paid for their protected position as idols by having to sacrifice the reality of life.” (Chapter 18) This passage reflects the Victorian anxiety about the changing role of women in society. The Industrial Revolution had led to a decline in the need for female labor, and women were still denied many of the rights and opportunities that men enjoyed. Stoker’s novel explores this anxiety through the figure of Mina Harker, who is both a traditional Victorian woman and a modern heroine.