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Lucy Westenera In Bram Stoker's Dracula

696 Words3 Pages

Dracula extensively outlines the attitudes in the Victorian era. Lust, being one of the deadly sins, is thematically applied in many of the characters whilst representing the nature of the devil itself, the vampire. The introduction of Lucy Westenera in the novel outlines her as a pure and a sweet innocent woman, a standard in the Victorian era. Although, her letter writes an unholy thought ‘Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble?’ This small hint of her promiscuity thoughts suggests she must be a deviant character, as it is not considered ‘normal’, driven by the christian beliefs. Her lustful thoughts eventually warms up and evolves significantly through the process of her vampirism after …show more content…

Seward does not even consider her as someone he was engaged with, but a ‘thing’ that only images her ‘When Lucy—I call the thing that was before us Lucy because it bore her shape—.’ Her loss of innocence and purity is further expanded by the description of her features and expression. ‘Saw us she drew back with an angry snarl, such as a cat gives when taken unawares; then her eyes ranged over us. Lucy’s eyes in form and color; but Lucy’s eyes unclean and full of hell-fire, instead of the pure, gentle orbs we knew.’ The application of ‘cat’ as simile portrays she has lost her humanity and presents the utilization of cats in the Victorian era which was to hunt vermin and mice (in a sense humans are technically vermins, if you know what I mean and I think you do), whilst the description of her eyes being ‘unclean’ and ‘full of hell-fire’ expressess how evil has consumed her (hell being a biblical symbol). The lust is still present in her, instead the thoughts had verbally expressed. ‘She still advanced, however, and with a languorous, voluptuous grace, said:—“Come to me, …show more content…

In juxtaposed to the lustful pathway of Lucy, her best friend, Mina is never lustful and sexual, this is also highlighted by the fact Mina never gave up her christian beliefs “I am not worthy in His sight. Alas! I am unclean to His eyes, and shall be until He may design to let me stand forth in His sight as one of those who have not incurred His wrath” By capitalizing H in referring to ‘god’ it emphasizes the ‘great power he holds’(its giving brain washing). When Mina is absolved of her sins and released from Dracula's wickedness following his death, it is shown that her willingness to acknowledge and trust in God made it possible for her to be redeemed. This reflects on Victorian society when it came to christianity, it served as a warning that allowing immorality or following an unchristian pathway will meet the fate of evil. This warning of lust, that is singly driven by female characters in the book, is also enforced in the three female vampires

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