Dracula Essay

Dracula Essay
Bram stoker is way ahead of his time. His mind is way more modern than the Victorian era. Bam stokers Dracula is a criticism of its time in many ways and in different themes including the portrayal of women, importance of status and money, and having control.
Dracula criticizes the portrayal of women in various ways. First example is when Mina finds Lucy in the churchyard after she had been sleep walking in the middle of the night wearing her nightgown. When Mina is taking her home she covers her feet in mud in case anyone should see her bare feet. Not only has this but Mina also said “I was filled with anxiety about Lucy, not only for her health, lest she should suffer from the exposure, but for her reputation in case the story should get wind.”(Stoker 114) this criticizes the way women are supposed to behave to be considered ladies and have a good reputation. Their freedom is very limited. Another way this is exposed is when Van Helsing meets with Mina to learn about Jonathan Harker’s journal and tell her about Lucy’s death. Dr. Van Helsing says “ah, then you have a good memory for facts, for details? It is not always so with young ladies.”(Stoker 220) This clearly shows that in this time women aren’t considered intelligent or even that capable of having a good memory for intellectual things.
To marry into a good family is encouraged by most people. In Dracula the importance of status and money is criticized when Lucy chooses to marry Arthur out of the 3 proposals. One was a doctor, another American, and last Arthur with a high position in society and is wealthy gets chosen even if she didn’t love him the most. In another case is how Dracula gains status and money t be able to accomplish all he has. Van Helsing explains “with the child brain that was to him he have long since conceive the idea of coming to a great city. What does he do?   He find out the place of all   the world most of promises for him. Then he deliberately set himself down to...