Female Characters in Bram Stokers Dracula Essay -- Dracula Bram Stoke

Female Characters in Bram Stokers DraculaHaving studied Bram Stokers Dracula as part of my GCSE EnglishCourse, I am going to consider the representation of women in thenovel. The three main characters I will study are Mina, Lucy, and thethree female vampires (belonging to Dracula). I am going to considerthe similarities and differences of each character, and how well they par to traditional puritanical women. I will support my answers withquotes and evidence.During the early twentieth century, the traditional puritanic idealwould be a lady of leisure. A straitlaced woman effectively had only twooptions she was either a virgin- a model of purity and innocence, orshe was to be a wife and produce an heir. If she was uncomplete these,not only would men not take any interest in her, but also she had noconsequence in society. Women had to run the menage and obey theirhusbands, not only them, but to treat all men with respect. Moralbehaviour, and a feminine appearance were also aspects of atraditional Victorian ideal. As well as this, Victorian women wereexpected to be obedient and virtuous.However, in the late 1800?s the Victorian ideal was being challenged,which better became know as the ?New Woman?. These new women were tobe considered the feminists of the time, they rejected clothing thatrestricted their movement, like corsets and petticoats, and otherseven took to riding bicycles. All of these matters evolved into beinga little terror for the traditional way of Victorian life. In Bram Stoker?s ?Dracula?, Mina measures up fairly well as atraditional Victorian woman. She has a good extent of tradition, andshe matches the acquirements well. Mina is beneath veneer ofmodernity ... ...acters fulfil their role well, but sometimes everyone betrays thetradition.Stoker created an image at a first glance that the characters appearto be cast in typical gender roles, the purpose of this being not toupset or threaten the commentator?s sense of how things should be. He thencreates suspense into the actions of the characters, for example, Minaturning into some one like Lucy will she be lost?Bram Stoker shows us with Mina, that she was able to achieve her owngoals, as well as the typical goals of Victorian women. Mina stillcarries on with the tradition as well as maternal instincts, and weknow this from the important information given to us after the novelher having a baby. This is therefore showing us that Victorian Womencould do more than that was traditionally common or expected, withoutthe rebellious, threatening ?New Woman?.