Analysis of Bram Stokers "Dracula"

In 1891, Bram Stoker gave us “Dracula” and the modern vampire as we know it.

The aristocratic, sensual creature we have seen in numerous variations throughout out modern day.

While the vampire itself is incredibly significant to the story Stoker tells; my analysis rests on how the characters, and even objects around Dracula tell their own stories.

My main argument is that the narrative within this book was more for the favor of women, than many seem to believe it to be.

Mina, and even Lucy, play very large roles in how the story of “Dracula” plays out, and that is not by accident. 

What roles did these women play? Without the two leading women in “Dracula;” the men would have taken much longer to discover the vampire, if they ever did at all. 

If not for the evidence of relationship between the two women, Dr. Van Helsing would have not contacted Mina; Therefore, he would have never read the diary kept by Mina's husband Jonathan from when he met Dracula in Transylvania. 

Mina is such a valuable part of this story, because she is strong.

In some ways she is even stronger than the men around her. 

Stoker also uses allusions to women centered stories within the ships that the Count travels on, 

The Demeter and the “Czarina Catherine” also known as, Catherine the Great. ​

The two women, Lucy Westenra and Mina Harker, are best friends.

We are told this through a series of intimate correspondences via letters, and their own diaries.  

We see their characterization through Lucys more informal ways of writing her letters, compared to Minas who are a bit more formal.

Lucy admires and looks up to Mina.

Inspired by Mina, Lucy takes to keeping her own diary, even if for only for a short while.

This is crucial, as the story of “Dracula” is told via series of diaries and letters, belonging too and written by out novels heroes.

Yet another role Mina has a hand in, as it is due to her that they begin this collection of entries as she is the one who; first transcribes her husband Jonathan Harker's diary entries, of which he kept record of his experience at Dracula's castle; it is she that transcribes Dr. Sewards's phonograph diary; and it is Mina and her husband who go on to piece together every relevant letter and diary entry with copies!

As for Lucy, while I have seen many dismiss her a flirt who was punished for being such, I do not agree with that reading.

Lucy, is able to get three men of seemingly strong character fall so deeply in love with her; that they are willing to give her their blood, even though she declined all but one's proposal.

While they all could have refused her the same way she refused them, four men in total are willing to give their life essence to this girl, to keep her alive from a mysterious sickness.

While it is due to Mina’s so called: “man’s brain” as Dr. Van Helsing describes it, that the men are eventually able to pin- point what sort of monster Count Dracula is, where he is, and eventually destroy him; It is because of the love that these men were able to hold for Lucy, regardless of it being unrequited, that they sought out on this adventure in the first place.

If Dr. Van Helsing had not been called to help Lucy while she was sick, he may not have ever discovered her relationship with Mina.

Subsequentially, Mina may have never gotten to share her husband's diary with an open-minded man, and Jonathan would have lived his life thinking he had gone crazy, and a plague would have taken all of Britian.

There has also been the argument that Lucy meets her end, while Mina does not, because Mina is the ideal virtuous woman who does as she is told.  

Once more, I disagree. Dr. Seward briefly starts to figure it out what could have been draining Lucy of her blood, but shuts down the idea because it is too impossible.

Lucy meets her end, because the men around her are unwilling to believe in something that they cannot prove.

As Dr. Van Helsing says to Dr. Seward, “Do you not think that there are things which you cannot understand, and yet which are; that some people see things which others cannot?”

Still, it is only after it is too late that Dr. Van Helsing shares this knowledge.

He had in fact, begun to figure it out himself, but was unwilling to share it with those around him.

Probably, because he knew that the men around him would not believe him had he tried to tell the truth without proof.

As previously stated, it is argued that Mina survives because she does as she is told.

Mina survives because she is intelligent.

When the men decide to keep her out of the vampire hunting business for the sake of her nerves, it puts her in harm's way straight into the arms of Count Dracula.

I truly do not believe that Bram stoker put so many monologues about how brilliant and strong Mina is, including finishing the book with Jonathan writing: “The boy will someday know what a brave and gallant woman his mother is. Already he knows her sweetness and loving care; later on he will understand how some men loved her, that they did dare so much for her sake.”

Mina, is arguably the hero of this story, not the men.

It is Mina is the one who figures out at the same time the doctors are, that after Dracula feeding her his blood and her subconscious mental connection to him, she should be absent from meetings plotting his demise.

Mina is the connection that gets them to Dracula’s demise.

Lastly, the allusions of the ships that take the Count to and from Britain, are women centered stories, “The Rape of Persephone” and Catherine the Great. 

The two ships that Dracula voyages on to and from Britain respectively are, The Demeter and The Czarina Catherine. Two stories that center around women, Demeter being most well-known from her role in “The Rape of Persephone” and the latter being the historic Catherine the Great; The Empress who overthrew a coup to take down her husband.

The Ships that Dracula Voyages on. 

The Demeter, is probably the most recognizable as it shows in almost every adaptation of Dracula, as well as the name "Demeter" to many who love the Greek Mythos.

Demeter, the mother of Persephone and who plays a major role in "The Rape of Persephone"." 

Dracula arrives to England on the Demeter in August, the end of Summer and beginning of Fall.

The time of the year in which Persephone is told to return to her husband in the underworld, and Demeter banishes the earth to the cold.

Dracula begins to take brides, starting with Lucy while she sleepwalks into a graveyard.

The graveyard is something we all  easily recognize as related to Death, Hades' domain.

Even the way in which Dracula makes his brides is very similar to this story, as it is seen as the giving and taking of blood in Bram Stokers novel as an extremely intimate scene, and that Draculas' taking of it without the women's consent implies an assault or rape.

It is commented on within the novel that by the sharing of the blood from the men to Lucy as they try to save her life, makes them in some way married.

Further implying that Dracula has made Lucy his bride in a way mirroring the abduction of Persephone as Hades makes her his bride by tricking her into eating pomegranate seeds; In this case, it is the tricking her to ingest his blood. 

The "Czarina Catherine," ship Dracula returns to Transylvania on, means Catherine the Great.

Named after she who led a coup of men against her husband to overthrow him.

How does Dracula meet his end in the novel?

Mina Harker, a woman who has been forced to drink from the count, and is in some ways his wife as we have discussed, leads five men to Transylvania using her connection him.

They end up finding Dracula and killing him, her actual husband Jon doing the killing, much like how Catherines favorite is rumored to have killed Peter. 

While I may just be looking at this novel through modern eyes.

Based on Stokers other works I do not think it is too crazy to believe that my reading of “Dracula” is too far off the mark.

Stoker used two women centered stories to help tell his own story, via the names of the ships Dracula travels upon, and so much of this story is told through the women's eyes.

When it is told through the men, each one holds the women they behold in such a high measure.

Due to these examples, this is why my reading of “Dracula” has led me to believe it is a story pro-woman, not against them.