Dracula And Gothic Essay - 2107 Words

The Gothic genre does suppress vulnerable women. They are exploited in order to please the tyrannical male and feed his desires. When the women is no longer of use, she is then discarded. The Gothic genre is described as ‘formulaic† and one of the key features is a tyrannical male who abuses his power to assert his dominance over a perceived futile women. Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ was written in time where women started to want more equal rights and opportunities. For example, in the same year Dracula was published (1897), Millicent Fawcett founded ‘The National Union of Women’s Suffrage’. Bram Stoker feared the decline of the patriarchal figure and could have created ‘Dracula’ as an attempt to scaremonger the public into thinking what would†¦show more content†¦Lucy is not seen to be the ideal Victorian wife, â€Å"why can’t they let a girl marry three men or as many that want her†, due to her low morals and her naivety towards the way a women was expected to act it allowed Dracula to exploit her. Stoker presents Lucy in a way that would be shocking and unacceptable for a Victorian reader. Stoker insinuates that Lucy is fatherless because Stoker only refers to her father once in the book and it is in the past tense, â€Å"Lucy’s father, had the same habit he would get up in the night and dress himself†, even if Lucy’s father is alive it is clear that he has had minimal involvement and impact on Lucy’s life. Stoker could be suggesting that Lucy’s lack of a patriarch has meant that she has a desire and craving for one leading her to finding one where ever she could find it. When Dracula is removing blood from Lucy she is described as â€Å"half-reclining† Stokers use of this word suggests that Dracula is not forcing her or even restraining her, it implies that she is accepting what is taking place. Stoker goes as far as to imply that Lu cy is enjoy the experience, â€Å"Her lips were parted†¦ heavy gasps†, this is very sexually suggestive of a post climatic moment. It could be argued that at this moment she is conforming to the hierarchy of society by being submissive due to her possible positive â€Å"father complex† (created by Sigmund Feud and Carl Jung), so is therefore acting how a Victorian should byShow MoreRelatedGothic Elements In Dracula Essay1499 Words   |  6 PagesStoker s Dracula is a staple of the Gothic Horror genre. It is a novel that has been scrutinized by countless readers since it was published in 1897. 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