Welcome back to the cemetery, my lovelies! Today, I am lost in delicious contemplation of the book I am currently devouring. It is a deep dive into the psychology behind the creation of the Dracula novel:
Yes, I am still reading it. Finding time to sit and focus on reading has proven difficult these last several weeks, but I promise I am only a few chapters from being done. Anyway, the other day I read a passage that spoke about the sexual undertones of the characters and how they reflect upon Victorian societal norms. The part that really caught my attention was the discussion of Lucy Westenra. For those unfamiliar with the story (and in all honesty, if you are not at all familiar with Dracula, how the hell did you find this blog?), Lucy is a young Victorian socialite who exudes beauty and flirtatious confidence. She entertains three male suitors, ultimately choosing one as her fiancé. She is bold, yet a bit naïve, but ultimately wishes for more freedom in her choices and actions.
Lucy represents the type of thinking that, unfortunately, was deemed “unsuitable” in Victorian society. Based on what we know of Bram Stoker, he was supportive of the repressive views on women, their inherent sexuality, and just sexuality in general. Lucy’s desire to love and marry three men, so as not to have to choose, along with her bold flirtation, ultimately lead to what seemed to be her punishment in the novel. She was sought out by Dracula, repeatedly violated without her knowledge or consent, and transformed into a wanton, lustful creature of the night that fed on the innocent. Her demise was brought about by the very three men she loved, with her chosen suitor staking her in the heart while the others decapitated her corpse. One could posit that being run through with a phallic object (the stake) could be viewed as Arthur penetrating Lucy in a sexual sense. The others, particularly Jack, cutting off her head might be viewed as a type of revenge for her rejection. In the end, this part of the story is, on the surface, a vampire being destroyed and her soul being saved; in a deeper context, this is a group of men claiming ownership over a woman that dared to challenge the societal norms. Stoker believed that a love of home, family, and domestic duty was all a woman should feel passion for. The idea of the “new woman” that Mina and Lucy discuss stands in stark defiance of these ideas. Stoker painted Lucy as an example of what awaits a woman who dared to defy the traditional female role.
The takeaway here is, ultimately, that your beloved Twisted Libra would have never survived in Victorian society. Alright, that’s not the entire takeaway…but it amuses me to know I would have been an outcast in a time period for which I have always been fond. As for the sexual undertones of the novel, I honestly never gave them much thought before; however, reading this analysis has opened my eyes on many facets of the story. This was already my favorite novel, but now it is even more so. Lucy was punished for expressing desire and seeking freedom. Stoker characterized her as well as the three brides (if you are confused here, read the damn book already) with blatant sexuality and appeal, yet he dominated and destroyed these women in the end. I can’t help but feel that, on some level, he was repressing his own desires for the “new woman” of the era; that Lucy and the brides exuded qualities he wished he could openly appreciate. Anger at his own repression caused him to punish these women in his writings.
I’m not man-bashing here, honestly. I am not even trying to paint Stoker as the bad guy; he was a product of his environment. The real issue lies within society as a whole. What constitutes offense should never be collectively decided upon. Offense is subjective. Individuals should be allowed to live their lives without adherence to what others deem acceptable. As the late, great Papaw Libra used to say, “Your rights end where mine begin.” He felt like other people should be allowed to live as they pleased, so long as they didn’t expect him to live as they pleased.
I have never fit into the “traditional woman” category. I’m allergic to children, for fucks sake. I support freedom of choice, expression, and speech for everybody, not just women. I was never comfortable with the idea of being the quiet submissive who caters to everyone else’s needs but never her own. I feel submission and dominance within a relationship should be equal and function with more of an “ebb and flow” versus a static hierarchy. I won’t dive further on this because Libra Mom reads this sometimes and there are some things a mother just doesn’t need to know about her kid. Suffice it to say, I am pretty open about things like sexuality, desire, and personal ideals over societal ideals. Fuck the traditional views. Traditions are just a way for previous generations to control your life. Be unapologetically you, my lovelies!
Before you go, please enjoy the obligatory self-promotions:
Want to buy my books? Look no further:
Twisted Libra at Barnes & Noble online
Until next time…
Dancing Among the Remains 