Mina, the "Angel", and Lucy, the "Monster": two sides of femininity in Bram Stoker's Dracula
2020 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesisAlternative title
Mina, "Ängeln", och Lucy, "Monstret" : två sidor av femininitet i Bram Stokers Dracula (Swedish)
Abstract [en]
This paper analyses the characters Mina and Lucy in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, showing how they are juxtaposed in terms of femininity. By using feminist criticism and the concepts of the angel in the house, monstrous femininity, and the virgin/whore dichotomy, this paper explores how Mina represents the self-sacrificing, supportive, and wifely angel in the house, while Lucy represents the sexual, disobedient, and powerful monstrous female. This is analyzed through Mina’s interactions with the men, as well as through her view on femininity, and through Lucy’s interactions with the men and with Mina. This paper then explores how these differing gender roles lead to different outcomes for the two women. Mina is excluded but is able to be purified from vampirism while still alive. In contrast, Lucy, being a threat to British Victorian femininity, has to be killed and mutilated before her memory can be purified. How well the women fit into the male community’s view of the Victorian female ideal, with Mina fitting it the best, is found to be the reason for why Lucy suffers a worse fate than Mina.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2020. , p. 22
Keywords [en]
Gender roles, feminist criticism, Victorian femininity, angel in the house, monstrous femininity, virgin/whore dichotomy, Bram Stoker, Dracula
National Category
General Literature Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hkr:diva-20723OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hkr-20723DiVA, id: diva2:1443160
Subject / course
English
Supervisors
Examiners
2020-06-182020-06-172020-06-18Bibliographically approved