Comparing Frankenstein By Mary Shelley And Dracula By Bram Stoker

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly and Dracula by Bram Stoker are novels that contribute to the Victorian era’s sense of self-identity through societal norms. During the Victorian era, identity was directly attributed to social conventions of the time, such as gender identity, social standing, and cultural identity. These themes are present in both works as their authors were influenced by events at the time they were written; consequently, both narrators' struggles with identification are affected by these issues as well. Robert Walton and Jonathan Harker represent the social characteristics associated with identity through gender paradigms, power, and social status.
Through masculine gender paradigms, Walton and Harker represent cultural standards

Walton, however, is calm and does not panic. Robert Walton states, "There is something terribly appalling in our situation, and yet my courage and hopes do not desert me" (Shelley 263). Even though Walton and his ship's crew are in a perilous situation, he maintains his composure and faith that they will overcome this crisis. Since males were traditionally seen to be brave and tenacious under adversity, resilience and bravery are traits that are categorized as being manly. Men must always fight their fears and doubts rather than run away from them. Robert Walton therefore exhibits traditional ideals of masculinity through his tenacity amid trying circumstances, which contribute to his identity. The conventional concepts of masculinity are likewise displayed by Jonathan Harker in the battle between the men and

In the Victorian era, status was a factor in establishing identity since career, wealth, and accomplishments were significant factors in determining social standing. For example, Mina Harker states, "[I’m] now married to Johnathan, Johnathan a solicitor, a partner, rich, master of his business" (Stoker 185). Because of his wealth and flourishing business, Harker belongs to an exclusive milieu of eminent members. Society considered the workforce to be a man’s place; thus, for a man to "be a man", he needed to be successful in his work and wealthy in order to provide for his family. Harker’s social position denotes how he symbolizes the social conventions that are related to recognition and how they contribute to his identity. Similarly, Walton’s professional skills have led him to take up a position on the ship. Robert Walton states, "I felt a little proud when my captain offered me the second dignity in the vessel... so valuable did he consider my services" (Shelley 5). The captain of the ship decides that Walton is suitable for a job on the basis of his skills and believes them to be "valuable". Attributing value to Walton’s skills reflects how the captain views him in terms of his work. The captain's perception of Walton as a result of his social standing reflects how Walton exemplifies identity-related cultural standards. Walton's statement that he is "proud"