In Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula, readers are taken back in time to the Victorian Era, a society in which does not question the morality of the strict rigid mold that were put in place for the true Victorian woman. Two of Stoker’s characters in this novel, Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra are presented as the two dignified and appropriate damsels, aiding the reader in what we are to believe as two seemingly different perceptions of the ideal Victorian woman. That is until an unexpected Dracula arrives in London to challenge these ideals as well as introduce his three “voluptuous and wanton” vampresses. These women not only evoke a blood churning sensation of pure fear, but also serve the purpose of confronting the paradigms of what it means to be a Victorian woman. They challenge these ideals by presenting the extremers that is themselves to ultimately make society fearful of what is to become of their women. Bram Stoker uses the portrayal of specific characters and their mortality to depict the way society views sexuality in regards to women in this time period. …show more content…
By presenting the reader characters like Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra, we are able to grasp onto what the traditional mold of Victorian society is yearning for, but also see exactly what they are scared of. The women in this novel represent the fixed Victorian society as a whole to be innocent, pure, and untouched by misfortune. When outsiders to this society make their presence known by presenting a contrasting archetype to the Victorian woman and preform acts symbolically linked with sexual desire, this instills fear of rebellion and ultimately the destruction of their