Author: Gossip Girl

This passage is interesting because Dracula is referred to as a variety of pronouns, a person, a thing, and maybe even a supernatural deity. He is given a godlike status by the use of pronouns from the first mate’s perspective just before jumping overboard. The first mate had just witnessed Dracula in a scene the readers do not know about, and now is crazed by the experience. The “He/Him” (Stoker 95) pronouns used referring to Dracula are capitalized, usually only used this way when referring to a deity such as the Judeo-Christian God. This could mean that the mate has started wholeheartedly believing in the existence of Dracula as a supernatural figure, and sees fit to use godlike pronouns to suit Dracula. However, when the captain puts together that a monster has been killing his men, he addresses Dracula with “he”/ “him” (Stoker 95) pronouns (not capitalized). This humanizes Dracula in the small moment, making him a man and not an otherworldly being. In the following paragraph, when the captain sees Dracula with his own eyes, the captain exclaims he “saw It-Him” which again switches the way people view Dracula. The Him in this instance is capitalized, again perhaps indicating the deity status. Even later in the novel, when Mina first sees Dracula bent over Lucy, she refers to Dracula as “something” (Stoker 101). This is yet another way the vampire is perceived because, in this case, Mina only sees his outline and red eyes. She is not convinced by any pretend humanity Dracula shows so she is unsure of the nature of him altogether. So, we have Mina referring to Dracula as a “something” (Stoker 101), we have the captain referring to Dracula as “him” then “It” and then “Him”, and the mate referring to Dracula as “Him”. None of these characters are entirely sure of Dracula’s true form, so they range from calling him something otherworldly or godly, to a thing, to a man. It also makes Dracula all the more complex of a character to the readers because the story is written entirely through the eyes of other characters. As readers, we do not know a true unbiased view of Dracula, we only know what he looks like from characters that may have biases or not have a clear view of what he looks like

“Perhaps they took a horrible pride in the enormity of their wickedness; in this ‘divinity of hell,’ which made them amongst sinful creatures” (Braddon 293)

 

This quote was initially confusing for me, considering the context of the period. A woman wrote this quote, and yet she is contradicting other women who are taking power for themselves. Yes, the women who are the subject are murderers and “wicked” (Braddon 293), but they are also going against cultural norms for women and taking over the patriarchal dynamic. On the other hand however, Mary Elizabeth Braddon may be trying to appease her male audience. A large portion of Lucy’s thoughts would be considered scandalous if she said them aloud, most of them around secrets, murder, hidden lives, and treachery. It is also heavily implied she is psychologically manipulating her husband for an ulterior motive and ignoring ethical boundaries, especially of the Victorian era. Perhaps Braddon was trying to point out the difference between women who use what power they have for evil, and women who use power for good. Lucy clearly has decision-making power in the novel, but the text talks about the root of her motive being sinful instead of good.

Another important part of the quote is who is saying this. Even though this section of the book is from Lucy’s perspective, Lucy herself is neither thinking nor saying this. Instead, it is the anonymous and omniscient narrator. The readers do not know the gender, the name, or the relationship of the narrator, which warrants the question: should we trust what they are saying? The narrator is clearly interjecting their opinion on women who commit sin with the dramatic line of the “divinity of hell” (Braddon 293). It compares women who are, from the Victorian perspective, inferior, because of the first “mistake” Eve made, yet the narrator put “divinity” before “hell” (Braddon 293). This implies that, if women are of the hellish nature, they still have divine power or some sort of speciality about them, more than what meets the eye.

“‘No more dependence, no more drudgery, no more humiliations’ she said,’every trace of the old life melted away-every clue to identity buried and forgotten-except these, except these'” (Braddon 17)

This passage is especially full of scandal. It talks about the “dependency, drudgery, and humiliation” (Braddon 17) of a woman who was shown as reverentially perfect in descriptions of previous chapters. When we are first introduced to Lucy in chapter 1 through Sir Michael Audley’s eyes, he describes her as having a “perfect harmony which pervaded every charm” (Braddon 12). However, the words in the quote above are all words full of negativity and hardship. She talks about her old life “melting” away which is the exact term used previously in the book to describe her eyes (Braddon 12).  Melting is a term for going away, slowly disappearing, like her identity, which she wanted to destroy. She seems desperate to leave all traces to her old life behind, but she repeats “except these” (Braddon 17) more than once in the passage. The reader is unsure of her expression when she says this, the narrator (who is omnipotent yet anonymous) doesn’t mention her feeling. This is a very passionate scene, yet there is irony in it because the characters and narrator have information that is important to the storyline that the reader does not. We as readers do not know if she is yearning, angry, mournful, or any other emotion, it is left purposely vague which adds to the air of mystery. Lucy wants to leave her life behinds so badly, she uses the word “clue” (Braddon 17), implying there is a mystery or problem there to be solved. There has to be something, so scandalous or reputation-ruining, she doesn’t want anyone to know or be able to trace to her. She also uses the term “identity,” implying her entire persona has some secrets or is entirely fabricated. She is leaving an identity behind, so it is an old life, family, or name she can no longer live? Perhaps the depression she spoke of in the “no more…humiliations” (Braddon 17) quote led to her running away and needing to start anew.

What I really think this passage is about is the hint to something that is sinister and scandalous underneath Lucy’s perfect facade. A past like that she could no longer tolerate due to a terrible mental state or maybe a dangerous situation. It was her own volition to start anew for a reason that is unclear to the reader, yet it hints still at secrets yet to be revealed.