Dracula by Bram Stoker gender and sensuality - Essay Example

? Order 537778 Topic: Dracula by Bram Stoker gender and sensuality Aggressive sensuality and sexuality of women are the main issues in Dracula. Bram Stoker’s Dracula deals with gender relations, and that is to be understood in the backgrounder information of the sexual roles in Victorian England. It emphasizes the imposed boundaries for women and sex and how they should be handled. They have a bearing on the gender issues of the time. If an issue that engulfs the important fields like science, sociology and philosophy, it is sex and gender. It is extensively discussed and the viewpoints are similar as well as contradictory. In some areas in Dracula, they are simply confusing. One finds Stoker is also seized with similar problems and is unable to adhere to a fixed viewpoint. He challenges the popular view of the distinctness of gender boundaries and at other times, steadfastly supports them. Stocker subscribes to the commonly accepted view of the Victorian authors that the assigned status of the women is natural and correct and it is essential to maintain them for the success of gender relations and for overall welfare of the society. Those who transgressed the prescribed limits were considered as aberrant and degenerate. Victorians had a fair assessment of the roles of both the sexes. Since ages, and in Victorian times in particular, man’s power has been progressive, active and defensive and the power of woman is sweet, persuasive, orderly arrangement, astute in decision making and her sixth sense works well which makes her incapable of error. As said earlier, Stocker’s viewpoint on gender and sexuality is traditional, but gender blurring is depicted in Dracula by Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra. The male characters in the novel also follow suit and deviate from the prescribed path. To be specific, Jonathan Harker’s encounter with the female vampires! The sexual roles take an about--turn as for vampires in Dracula’s castle. He lays helpless on the couch, faints, against the onslaught of the three women who are in control and inject fear in his heart. A woman who takes charge of her sexuality is the embodiment of evil, and the blonde vampire approaches Jonathan sexually in his entranced condition. Count Dracula comes to his rescue, but that doesn’t improve the male-status of Jonathan. Stoker writes about her arrogance, (1994, p.46) “How dare you touch him, any of you? …This man belongs to me! …Yes, I too can love…I promise you that when I am done with him you shall kiss him at your will.” More of feminism engulfs the men folk in Dracula. Dr. Van Helsing, while in carriage with Dr. Seward, after Lucy’s(first) death, goes hysterical, cries and laughs, "just as a woman does" (p. 186). The feminine characteristics attributed to a man are clearly depicted. Stoker does tight rope-walking to elucidate his views on gender and sexuality in Dracula. It is not possible for him to express his rigid views on the subject of human sexuality, and he goes by what he sees in the total cultural context prevailing in the society then. Sexuality in Dracula is intriguing going by the established standards, but support to the “wrong” ideals on sex, makes the story more interesting and popular. At a cursory glance, the story appears to relate to the horrifying tale of Count Dracula, but on detailed analysis, one sees the gender and sexuality issues of the era are embedded in the story. But the issues that catch the attention of the readers are the means adopted by women to counter female repression, the lead they take for sexual advances, and the submissiveness of the male characters like Jonathan Harker and Van Helsing and how Mina Murray is subjected to repression because of the aggressiveness and dominance of the male gender. The contradictions in the sexual roles make it tough for the even analysis and interpretation of Dracula. This is due to the “polyphonic” nature of Dracula. The scene in which Dracula makes, either through force or seduction, Mina to drink blood from his chest (p. 336) doesn’t fit into any pattern of gender action. The actions of female characters are liable to be interpreted differently. Without doubt, gender and sexuality boundaries are transgressed in Dracula. A number of scenes will testify to the fact that men react in the feminine style. Sex and sexuality are strongly present and they are detailed in a strange manner on many occasions. They cross the established boundaries in one way or the other, and this deviance makes Dracula an extraordinary story. Each of the male/female characters has their own interesting approach to sex and gender related issues. Take Lucy and Mina’s sexuality for example. Lucy wishes to marry all men that she wants to marry .Her question is “Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble?’ (p.76)The twenty-first century feminist will be aghast at the sexual aggressiveness of Lucy. To compare the gender equation of Dracula with the Darwinian concept is a futile exercise. Darwin is trying to evaluate the male-female power equation as per his theory of evolution, which itself is contentious. E. Janet Browne (2003, p.306) writes, Darwin was however convinced that, “Among savages the most powerful men will have the pick of the women, and they will generally leave the most descendents…..In humans, the choice was exercised, by males. The situation was otherwise in the animal kingdom, where he believed females took the decisive role.” Vampires of Dracula are no less than animals, when it comes to passion and obviously they take the decisive role. Darwin must be quite happy about it if someone mentions to him about the female characters of Dracula! Conclusion: Sexual transgression is obvious in Dracula. It is a pointer to the social conditions prevailing in the Victorian Era. The destruction of the evil force is highlighted when Dracula saves Mina who after seduction is seen shaping into an uncontrollable vampire. This means, even in the present day society, the evil and criminal forces need to be controlled well in time to eliminate the incidents of rape and other atrocities against women. The role of mother and bringing up the family is the ideal choice for a woman. It is in the interest of the well-being of the society, if the commonly defined gender roles are not transgressed either by male or female. Works Cited Browne, E. Janet: Charles Darwin: The Power of Place; Princeton University Press; 1 edition, Sep, 15 2003. Stoker, Bram 1897: Dracula; Hamondsworth; Penguin 1994. Read More