Title:FictionalConventionsandSexualityinDracula

Author(s):CarrolL.Fry
PublicationDetails:TheVictorianNewsletter.42(Fall1972):p2022.
Source:TwentiethCenturyLiteraryCriticism.Ed.JanetWitalec.Vol.144.Detroit:Gale,2004.From
LiteratureResourceCenter.
DocumentType:Criticalessay
FullText:COPYRIGHT2004Gale,COPYRIGHT2007Gale,CengageLearning
FullText:
[(essaydatefall1972)Inthefollowingessay,FrymaintainsthatthelatentsexualityofDraculaisan
importantpartofthenovel'spopularappeal.]
Tothegeneralreadingpublic,BramStoker'sDraculaisoneofthebestknownEnglishnovelsofthe
nineteenthcentury.Itwasanimmediatebestsellerwhenitappearedin1897,andthefrequentmotion
picturesfeaturingthemachinationsofCountDraculasincethe1931filmversionofthenovelhavehelped
makevampirefolkloreverymuchapartoftheEnglishandAmericanpopularimagination.Thework's
fameisinpartattributabletoitssuccessasathriller.Thefirstsection,"JonathanHarker'sJournal,"is
surelyoneofthemostsuspensefulandtitilatingpiecesofterrorfictioneverwritten.Butperhapsmore
importantincreatingthepopularappealofthenovelisitslatentsexuality.
ThisfeatureoftheworkismostapparentinStoker'suseofdisguisedconventionalcharacters,placedin
newrolesbutretainingtheirinherentmelodramaticappealforasexuallyrepressedaudience.Themost
apparentofthesecharactersisthe"purewoman,"thestapleheroineofpopularfictionfromRichardsonto
Hardy.Indozensofnovelsoftheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies,thispurewomanispursuedbya
"rake,"aseducerwhohasdesignsonhervirtue.Themelodramaisbasedonthereader'ssuspense
regardingwhetherornothewillsucceed.Thosewomenwholosetheirvirtuebecome"fallenwomen,"
outcastsdoomedtodeathorsecludedrepentance.InDracula,therearetwo"purewomen,"Lucy
WestenraandMinaHarker,theformerofwhomactuallydoes"fall."Theroleof"rake"isplayedby
CountDracula,andvampirismbecomessurrogatesexualintercourse.Thewomenwhoreceivethe
vampire'sbitebecome"fallenwomen."
StokerestablishesDraculaasarakeinlargepartbymakinghima"gothicvillain,"aderivativeoftherake
inEnglishfiction.Likemostgothicvillains,Draculalivesinaruinedcastle,remarkablylikeUdolpho,
Otranto,GrasmereAbbey,anddozensofothersublimelyterrifyingstructuresinEnglishfiction.Iteven
hassubterraneanpassages,slightlymodifiedtoserveasdaytimerestingplacesforthevampires.
Moreover,Dracula'sphysicalappearanceisthatoftherakegothicvillain.Hehasa"strongavery
strong"faceand"massiveeyebrows."HisfaceshowsthepallortypicalofRadcliffe'sSchedoni,Maturin's
Melmoth,andLewis'Antonio,and,mostimpressively,hepossessestheusual"glitteringeye"ofthe
villain.Stokerreturnstothisfeatureoverandover.WhenHarkerfirstseeshim,heimmediatelynotes
"thegleamofapairofverybrighteyes,whichseemedredinthelamplight"1andtheCockneyzookeeper
interviewedbythereporterforthePallMallGazettedescribestheCount's"'ardcoldlookandredeyes"
(p.120).
Therakeandthegothicvillainpursueand"distress"thepurewomaninmelodramaticpopularfictionof
theeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies,andDraculasetsoutinpursuitofLucyWestenraandlaterof
MinaHarkerinthebesttraditionofthischaractertype.First,however,Stokerfirmlyestablisheshis
heroinesintheirroles.Lucygetsthreeproposals(afrequentlyusedmethodofestablishingworthin

women)fromthoroughlyadmirablemen,andwhenshetellstheheroicQuincyMorristhatshehasaprior
attachment,hesays:"It'sbetterworthbeinglateforachanceofwinningyouthanbeingintimeforany
othergirlintheworld"(p.56).Dr.VanHelsingsaysofMina:"SheisoneofGod'swomen,fashionedby
hisownhandtoshowusmenandotherwomenthatthereisaheavenwherewecanenter,andthatits
lightcanbehereonearth.Sotrue,sosweet,sonoble,solittleanegoistandthat,letmetellyou,ismuch
inthisage"(p.161).ButperhapsthemostimportantaspectofStoker'spresentationofLucyandMinais
thatthedescriptionofboth,beforeDraculapreysonthem,completelyomitsphysicaldetail.Onegets
onlyanimpressionofidealizedvirtueandspirituality.TheyarelikeRoseMaylieinOliverTwist,whois
"castinsolightandexquisiteamould;somildandgentle;sopureandbeautiful;thatearthseemednot
herelement,noritsroughcreaturesherfitcompanions."2
Stokerhadapparentlydonesomeresearchonthefolkloreofvampirism,3andmostofthedetailhegivesis
verifiedbytheworkofMontagueSummers.4Thevampire'sinabilitytocastareflection,hisfearof
daylight,andthestakeintheheartasameansofkillinghimareallpartofthefolkloreofeasternEurope.
Butoneelementofthisfolkloreisparticularlyappropriateformelodramaticfiction:thecontagiousnature
ofvampirism.Boththerakeofthepopularnovelandthevampireoffolklorepassontheirconditions
(moraldepravityintheformerandvampirisminthelatter)totheirvictims.Infiction,itisconventional
forthefallenwomantobecomeanoutcast,alienatedfromtherestofmankind,ortodieapainfuldeath.If
shelives,sheoftenbecomesaprostituteorthechattelofherseducer.Thebawdyhousetowhich
LovelacetakesClarissainRichardson'snovelisstaffedbytherake'sconquests,andinMrs.Radcliffe's
RomanceoftheForest,Adeline,theheroine,isabductedbythevillainandkeptinahouseoccupiedby
hisnumerouskeptwomen.
Similarly,Dracula'scastleisoccupiedbyhis"wives,"whowereatsomeearliertimehisvictims.Atthe
outsetofthenovel,whenthefairbridewhoisabouttodrinkthebloodofJonathanHarkerisstoppedby
theCount,sheutters"alaughofribaldcoquetry,"andsaystoherlord:"Youyourselfneverloved;you
neverlove!"(p.40).Draculareplies:"Yes,Itoocanlove;youyourselvescantellitfromthepast.Isitnot
so?"(p.40).Hehaslovedthemwiththevampire'sphallicbite,andtheyhavebecomeoutsiders,Un
Dead,and,likethefallenwoman,notpartofthehumanrace.Thefrequentreferencesto"love"andto
"kisses"andthetypeofphysicaldescriptionoftheladyvampiremakestheparallelbetweenseduction
andvampirismapparent.Thewivesareconsistentlydescribedintermsoferoticphysicalbeauty,butthey
arehardandwantonintheirattractiveness.Moreover,inVictorianfiction,prostitutes,likecockroaches,
mostoftenappearatnight(onethinks,forinstance,ofEstherinMrs.Gaskell'sMaryBarton),justas
vampires,infolklore,mustavoidthedaylight.
ThechangeinLucyWestenra'sappearanceaftershereceivesDracula'sattentionismarked.Physically,
herfeaturesarealtogetherdifferent.Dr.Sewarddescribesherinhertombwhenthegroupgoesthereto
destroyher:"Thesweetnesswasturnedtoadamantine,heartlesscruelty,andthepuritytowantonness"(p.
179).Insteadofthe"pure,gentleorbsweknew,"hereyesare"uncleanandfullofhellfire"(p.180).She
approachesArthurwitha"languorous,voluptuousgrace,"saying"Myarmsarehungryforyou"(p.180).
Inall,"Thewholecarnalandunspiritualappearance"seems"likeadevilishmockeryofLucy'ssweet
purity"(p.182).Throughout,thedescriptionoffemalevampiresunderscorestheirsexuality,andthe
words"voluptuous"and"wanton"appearrepeatedlyinthesecontexts,wordsthatwouldneverbeusedin
describingapurewoman.Clearly,Lucyhasfallen,butintheendsheissavedfromherselfinrather
conventionalfashion.Herdeathandthesmileofblissonherfaceasshepassessatisfythereader'sdesire
forahappyendingtoherstoryandfulfillhisexpectationregardingthefatepropertoafallenwoman.

MuchoftheinterestofthenovelfromthispointonliesinthefateofMinaHarker,whobeginstotakeon
thecharacterofthefallenwoman.Afterthevampirehasmixedhisbloodwithhersandhasbeenrouted
fromherbedroom,shecries:"Unclean,unclean!Imusttouchhim[Jonathan,herhusband]orkisshimno
more"(p.240).Later,aftersheisburnedbytheholywaferusedasaweaponagainsttheCount,she
exclaims:"Unclean!Unclean!EventheAlmightyshunsmypollutedflesh"(p.250).Duringthejourney
toDracula'scastle,shehasbeguntotakeonthe"beautyandfascinationofthewantonUnDead"(p.309).
ButwhenDraculaiskilled,allofthephysicaleffectsarereversed,andsheagainbecomesapurewoman,
fitformotherhoodandahappylife.Sheneverquitebecomesafallenwomanandhencecanbesavedat
theendofthenovel.
Thereareagoodmanyotherparallelsdrawnbetweenvampirismandsexualityinadditiontothe
melodramaticeffectsachievedthroughthemanipulationofconventionalcharacters.Thefactisthat
vampirelorehasmuchincommonwithhumansexuality.Thevampire'skissonthethroatandthelover's
kissareeasilymadeoneinthereader'smind,andtheNosferatu'sbitecanbemadeparallelinthepopular
imaginationwiththelovebiteorthephallicthrust.Inthenovel,theveryactofbitingismadehighly
erotic.IndescribingDracula'sembrace,Minasays:"strangelyenough,Ididnotwanttohinderhim"(p.
250).ButperhapsthemostsuggestivepassageinthenoveloccurswhenJonathanHarkerdescribeshis
experiencewhileinatranceinducedbyDracula'swives.Asthefairbrideapproacheshim,hefindsinher
a"deliberatevoluptuousnesswhichwasboththrillingandrepulsive,"andhefeels"awicked,burning
desirethattheywouldkissmewiththoseredlips"(p.39).Afteracertainamountofcoquettishargument
astowhowouldbegin,thefairbridebendsoverhisthroat,andHarkerdescribeshissensations:

Lowerandlowerwentherheadasthelipswentbelowtherangeofmymouthandchinandseemedto
fastenonmythroat.Thenshepaused,andIcouldhearthechurningsoundofhertongueasitlickedher
teethandlips,andIcouldfeelthehotbreathonmyneck....Icouldfeelthesoftshiveringtouchofthe
harddentsoftwosharpteeth,justtouchingandpausingthere.Iclosedmyeyesinalanguorousecstasy
andwaitedwaitedwithbeatingheart.(p.39)

Onecanhardlywonderthatthenovelwasenormouslypopular.

Notes

1.BramStoker,Dracula(NewYork,1965),p.38.Furtherpagereferencesappearinthetext.
2.CharlesDickens,TheAdventuresofOliverTwist,TheOxfordIllustratedDickens(London,1949),p.
212.
3.InABiographyofDracula:TheLifeStoryofBramStoker(London,1962),HarryLudlamstatesthat
muchoftheauthor'sinformationcamefromArminiumVambery,aprofessoroforientallanguagesatthe

UniversityofBudapest.Also,therewasahistoricalDracula.Stokerwasawarethatoneofthefifteenth
centuryleadersofthefightagainsttheTurks,VladV,wascalledDracula;andtheCount'slectureto
JonathanHarkerinCh.3ofthenovelshowsthatStokerknewalittleaboutthehistoryofeasternEurope.
ButaccordingtoProfessorGrigoreNandris,thereis"noassociationinRumanianfolklorebetweenthe
Draculastoryandthevampiremythology"("TheHistoricalDracula:TheThemeofHisLegendinthe
WesternandintheEasternLiteraturesofEurope,"ComparativeLiteratureStudies,III[1966],36696).
4.SeeTheVampireinEurope(NewHydePark,N.Y.,1962)andTheVampire:HisKithandKin(New
HydePark,N.Y.,1960).
SourceCitation(MLA7thEdition)
Fry,CarrolL."FictionalConventionsandSexualityinDracula."TheVictorianNewsletter42(Fall
1972):2022.Rpt.inTwentiethCenturyLiteraryCriticism.Ed.JanetWitalec.Vol.144.Detroit:Gale,
2004.LiteratureResourceCenter.Web.18Mar.2013.
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