Author: Belle

Nineteenth century gothic Victorian literature contains a variety of different themes within its pages. The goal of that time period was to be proper, religious and pure. Yet, a lot of these stories’ content contains underlying sexual innuendos. The Goblin Market, a children’s poem, and Dracula, a horrifying vampire novel, convey tales to the audience that mean one thing on the surface, but deep down, express sexuality as a whole.

The Goblin Market is supposed to be for young readers, yet at the end of the poem it leaves the audience contemplating the implicit idea of sex. The goblins are trying to lure in Laura, and feed her their magical “fruits”. Forcing her to eat their fruit, is essentially the goblins forcing Laura to have sex with them. A disturbing line from The Goblin Market is, “She sucked and sucked and sucked the more, Fruits which that unknown orchard bore; She sucked until her lips were sore” (134-136.) This literally means Laura was sucking the juice from the magical fruits, but on a deeper level, it’s implying she is engaging in oral sex. There are many other sexual innuendos in this poem.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula draws upon the sensualness of vampires, and the sexual seduction they give off. On the surface, the main objective of the story is vampires sucking blood in order to survive–but there is a sexual component to this. A line from this novel is “The fair girl went on her knees, and bent over me, fairly gloating. There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal, till I could see in the moonlight the moisture shining on the scarlet lips and on the red tongue as it lapped the white sharp teeth” (32.) This sounds like an erotic, sensual, and intimate interaction between two lovers, not like a vampire wanting blood and that is it . The element of sexualness is intriguing to the characters as well as the audience.

The authors of each narrative must have been very aware of the sexual innuendos between the lines. As previously stated, the people of the Victorian era were restricted in expressing themselves. In order to embrace their sexuality subtly, they weave in erotic language to their famous writings. People can interpret these works in many ways, but evidentially refer back to the theme of sex and sexuality.

The Vampire; a superstitious being that we as a society continue to both fear and have a desiring curiosity for. This character is the perfect conjunction of life and death. Among its many traits, sexuality stands out as a key component from them all. Vampires are lustful, desirable, and pleasant-looking to the human eye. This is why vampires have control over humans; not from the superstitious “power” standpoint, but the fact that they can control with their attractiveness and sexual drive.

The theme of sexuality/sexualness is prevalent throughout Dracula in a variety of ways. Jonathan Harker almost engages in an erotic encounter with one of the three female vampires. On page 45, there are numerous sexual innuendos. “The fair girl went on her knees, and bent over me, fairly gloating. There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal, till I could see in the moonlight the moisture shining on the scarlet lips and on the red tongue as it lapped the white sharp teeth” (45). This situation sounds just like individuals about to engage in (to put it frankly) some type of foreplay. The key note in this passage is the phrase “both thrilling and repulsive”. That is the exact description of a vampire; our society despises them for what they are, but are intrigued and their alluring demeanor.

An example of the vampire and sexuality in present day is Twilight. Edward Cullen is a blood-sucking creature, yet draws in every female that eyes him with his impressive looks. He especially does with Bella Swan who is forever pulled to his side. He is both dangerous but sexy; almost like the ideal “bad boy” that girls shouldn’t want, but always chase after. The attraction to vampires is still very much alive, and there’s no sight of that creature disappearing in future societies.

Numbers have, for centuries, been known to represent a variety of things. Specifically, relating to spirituality and the meanings behind numbers. As an example, the number 2 deals with balance, power, etc. After closely analyzing Dracula, it occurred to me that the number 3 was a prevalent, and reoccurring character throughout the novel.

There are three female vampires, “In the moonlight opposite me were three young women, ladies by their dress and manner” (44). The Count asks Jonathan to write three letters when he is held in captivity, “Last night the count asked me in the suavest tones to write three letters…” (49). Lucy gets three marriage proposals from three different men in one day, “Just fancy! THREE proposals in one day!” (64.) When Jonathan goes to find the Count in the chapel, he comes across his coffin on the third try, “Into two of these I went, but saw nothing except fragments of old coffins and piles of dust; in the third, however, I made a discovery. There, in one of the great boxes, of which there were fifty in all, on a pile of newly dug earth, lay the Count!” (50). Lastly, the old man from the harbor has two male friends that are with him, “I came up here an hour ago with Lucy, and we has a most interesting talk with my old friend and the two others who always come and join him” (73).

Picking up on this reoccurring symbol made me think of the sign of the Devil: 666. There are three 6’s, which connects back to Dracula and the idea that Count Dracula and the Devil are one and the same. Relating to the idea of religion in Dracula, the count represents the Anti-Christ, but rises from the dead. Jesus was resurrected three days later. The number 3 ties the idea of religion together with Dracula.

The Hound of Baskervilles is a cunning mystery novel that leaves the reader with questions many times throughout the story. It is fair to say that almost all books are extremely particular about the specific words that are used. This Sherlock Holmes novel has many interesting words and phrases weaved into it, and I picked up on a particular word that is mentioned very frequently. The word “grey” is used to describe many things; whether it be clothing, the weather etc. While reading the assigned pages, I thought to myself on many occasions, “why does this word keep showing up? What is the meaning behind it?” I believe this color/word is noted multiple times because of the exact meaning of the word. When I looked up the definition of “grey”, it stated: 1. Of a color intermediate between black and white. 2. Dull and nondescript; without interest or character. There is no clear understanding of the crime in this mystery, so the word grey is perfect to convey the confusion and blurriness of the truth. It is a color that has two mixed into it (black and white) just like this crime has multiple rumors and sides to it. There is no clear cut answer to the crime, just like grey is not a clear cut color. The pigment grey is mentioned twice on one page, as an example. “…the grim and GREY impression which had been left upon both of us by our first experience to Baskerville Hall” (62.) The other phrase is ” We were tired with our journey and chilled by our drive, so we took a GREY view of the place” (62.) The atmosphere by Baskerville Hall is mentioned as grey because there are unanswered questions around there. The same goes for “grey view of the place.” There are few answers to the many questions being asked in this mystery.

“He found nothing but a bright ring of golden hair, of that glittering hue which is so rarely seen except upon the head of a child–a sunny lock which curled as naturally as the tendril of a vine; and was very opposite in texture, if not different in hue, to the soft, smooth tress which the landlady at Ventnor had given to George Talboys after his wife’s death.” (160).

The disappearance of George Talboys has stirred up many unanswered questions regarding his whereabouts, family life, and especially his now deceased wife. When the reader first obtains knowledge of the death of Helen, that right there is a mystery within itself. Grief-stricken George wants a momentum of his late wife, and is given a lock of hair wrapped in silver paper (44). “This is the dear hair that I have kissed so often when her head lay upon my shoulder. But it always had a rippling wave in it then, and now it seems smooth and straight.” (45.)

Clearly, the two different locks of hair don’t match up in texture and well as color. Yet, they are suppose to have come from the same woman. Technically, we can’t know for sure which strand of hair really belongs to Helen, or if either belong to her at all. It seems like the golden lock found in between the book pages would belong to Helen, yet since it was hidden away, but it could belong to another female. We do not know for sure. I have many unanswered questions surrounding this issue. Who do the strands of hair belong to? Who are the two different women? Could they both be from Helen? (Which is doubtful.)

I also wanted to mention that in my mind, I thought of a correlation between the blonde, curled lock of hair found in between the book pages, and the one discovered in Lady Audley’s jewelry chest. Both hairs have similar characteristics. Could there be a connection between Lady Audley and George Talboys with the hair? Lady Audley’s hidden lock was probably that of a baby’s, and the same is mentioned in the quote about George’s hidden hair. What is the meaning of this?