The Power Hungry Female

Ashley Fay

9/27/11

Dracula Essay

The Power Hungry Female

In the book Dracula by Bram Stoker, there are many important women. We see Mina Harker whom is a very strong and powerful woman, and we see Lucy Westerna who may just be one of the most powerful of women in this book. Although most would say that the women in this novel are very powerful which is true, many would over look the fact that their power comes from men; in some way or another. Without men the women wouldn’t have anyone to dominate over. The men protect and preserve the women.

In the very beginning of the book we see the many different views of women. The good woman, the bad woman, the angel, the devil, and so on. We see also the views of a NEW woman. Because this is written back in the days when women didn’t have as many rights; the new woman was a scary concept for men, for it meant that women we starting to do things that were never part of their roles. “ But I suppose the new woman won’t condescend in in future to accept; she will do the proposing herself. And a nice job she will make of it, too!” ( Stoker 100). With this statement Mina is suggesting that women will become more powerful even in their relationships. Men would be threatened by this because they are supposed to be the powerful ones, and when a woman takes on a part that they are supposed to play, territory starts to be questioned.

In the book many men sacrifice things for the women, for instance their blood, or their time. Arthur, Dr.Seward, and Van Helsing all give their blood to save Lucy. In many ways without the help of those three men Lucy would be dead many times. In these cases we see women’s dependence on men, however the men are giving up their power willingly because of the greater power that women hold over them. “ Tell me, and I shall do it. My life is hers, and I would give the last drop of blood in my body for her.”( Stoker 131) We see Arthur sacrificing himself for Lucy which shows Lucy’s power over...