Male Dominance in Dracula

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Male Dominance in Dracula Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula persists in trying to maintain the male figures control over women. The setting of the novel is around the time when western society was beginning to modernize and also a period in which many were questioning the church and religious beliefs. In Victorian England, the actions of women were dictated by society. Women were either virgins who maintained their innocence and purity or representatives of motherhood. Anything outside of those 2 realms was considered to be sinful and not good representations of Victorian women. In Dracula sexual expression undermines male dominance through the actions of Dracula’s mistresses, the specific targeting of Lucy as the first victim, and also the importance that the male characters place on keeping Victorian women uncorrupted. Some of the most unknown and spoke of characters in the novel are the 3 sisters that live in Dracula’s Castle. While Mina and Lucy are constant female characters throughout most of the novel, not much is known about the sisters. At no point in the novel are the sisters referred to as brides of Dracula. This is related to the idea of the Victorian woman. Victorian woman who are not married must be pure and innocent souls. You first meet the sister’s when Jonathan Harker is wandering through Dracula’s castle. They come upon Harker with sexual aggression and desire. In doing so, Harker is both enjoying and disgusted with the women and their ability to overpower him. Their actions are not those of any ideal Victorian female. Although they are capable of seducing and overpowering Jonathon Harker, they are still regarded as less than men. Upon seeing the women around Harker, Dracula confronts the sisters reminding them that Harker belongs to him and that they can’t have him until he says so. He then gives the sisters a child to prey on. In doing so, Dracula
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