Lucy Westenra

Question 1

Lucy as a “New Woman”

Answer 1

• Key Quote: “Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble?”
• Analysis: Lucy’s playful lament challenges Victorian norms of monogamy and passive female sexuality, positioning her as a figure who embodies the anxieties surrounding the “New Woman” movement. The “New Woman” was an emerging feminist ideal that embraced female independence, sexual freedom, and a rejection of traditional gender roles.
• Language Technique: Lucy’s use of rhetorical questioning reveals her subversion of social expectations. The light-hearted tone belies the radical nature of her statement, challenging the reader to reconsider societal norms around marriage and female desire.
• Symbolism: Lucy’s wish to marry multiple men reflects a broader fear in Victorian society of female sexual liberation. Her flirtation with the “New Woman” ideal foreshadows her later transformation into a vampire, symbolizing the perceived dangers of women embracing their sexual agency.
• Contextual Link: The “New Woman” was a figure of moral panic in Victorian culture, representing a threat to traditional family structures and the patriarchal order. Lucy’s attraction to this ideal may contribute to her vulnerability to Dracula’s influence, suggesting that female independence is dangerous in the Gothic imagination.

Question 2

Lucy’s Tragic Fate

Answer 2

• Key Quote: “She makes a very beautiful corpse.”
• Analysis: This chilling statement reflects the Victorian obsession with the aestheticization of women, even in death. Lucy’s fate as a beautiful but lifeless object highlights her ultimate failure to navigate between societal expectations and her own desires. Despite her beauty, she is passive and vulnerable, reduced to a corpse admired for its appearance rather than its agency.
• Language Technique: The macabre irony in describing Lucy’s corpse as “beautiful” underscores the objectification of women in death, emphasizing how Victorian society valued women primarily for their physical appearance rather than their inner strength or character.
• Symbolism: Lucy’s transformation into a vampire and subsequent death symbolize the ultimate punishment for a woman who deviates from social norms. Her fate serves as a warning against female sexual agency and independence, reinforcing the Victorian ideal of passive, pure womanhood.
• Thematic Analysis: Lucy’s tragic end reflects Gothic themes of repression, punishment, and fear of female empowerment. Her inability to control her own fate contrasts with Mina, who represents a more acceptable balance between intellect and emotional restraint.

Question 3

Lucy’s Transformation and Sexual Agency

Answer 3

• Key Quote: “With a careless motion, she flung to the ground, callous as a devil, the child that up to now she had clutched strenuously to her breast.”
• Analysis: Lucy’s transformation into a vampire marks a radical departure from her earlier portrayal as an innocent and demure young woman. As a vampire, she embodies unchecked female sexuality and cruelty, becoming a literal predator of children. This reflects the Victorian fear of women who transgress traditional gender roles.
• Language Technique: The violent, animalistic imagery of “flung” and “callous as a devil” suggests that Lucy’s transformation has unleashed a savage, primal force. The contrast between her earlier nurturing nature (clutching a child) and her post-transformation violence reinforces the idea that her loss of control over her sexual nature has made her monstrous.
• Symbolism: As a vampire, Lucy symbolizes the Victorian fear of female sexuality as something dangerous and uncontrollable. Her transformation represents a loss of innocence and purity, reinforcing the Madonna-Whore dichotomy in the novel. Once sexually liberated (symbolized by her vampirism), she is no longer the ideal Victorian woman, but a threat to society.
• Critical Perspective: A feminist reading may view Lucy’s transformation as symbolic of the repression of female sexuality in the Victorian era. Her transformation into a vampire could be seen as a punishment for her flirtations with independence and desire, illustrating how patriarchal society demonizes women who step outside traditional roles.

Question 4

Lucy as the Anti-Mother

Answer 4

• Key Quote: “The sweetness was turned to adamantine, heartless cruelty, and the purity to voluptuous wantonness.”
• Analysis: Lucy’s vampiric transformation twists her once-pure nature into something grotesque and menacing. Her rejection of motherhood (symbolized by her attack on children) marks her as a perverse inversion of the Victorian ideal of womanhood, which celebrated women as nurturing and maternal.
• Language Technique: The juxtaposition of “sweetness” with “heartless cruelty” and “purity” with “wantonness” highlights Lucy’s complete moral and physical reversal. The sensory language used here emphasizes the stark contrast between her angelic human form and her demonic vampiric form.
• Symbolism: Lucy’s attack on children symbolizes the ultimate perversion of her womanhood. In rejecting motherhood and embracing predation, Lucy becomes a Gothic manifestation of male fears about female empowerment and sexual autonomy.
• Contextual Link: Victorian women were often idealized as mothers and caretakers. By transforming Lucy into a child-killing vampire, Stoker underscores the horror of women who reject their socially assigned roles, reinforcing the notion that a woman’s power, if unchecked, is dangerous.

Question 5

Lucy’s Vulnerability vs. Mina’s Strength

Answer 5

• Key Contrast: While Lucy is portrayed as vulnerable and passive, easily falling prey to Dracula’s influence, Mina is depicted as intelligent, resourceful, and proactive. Lucy’s fate emphasizes her inability to protect herself, whereas Mina’s intellect and moral fortitude allow her to resist Dracula’s advances.
• Language Technique: Lucy’s vulnerability is often conveyed through passive descriptions—”victim,” “prey”—while Mina is characterized through more active verbs, reflecting her agency in the narrative.
• Symbolism: Lucy symbolizes the Victorian ideal of passive femininity, which leaves her vulnerable to corruption and death. In contrast, Mina embodies the New Woman’s strength and intellectual agency, positioning her as a symbol of hope in the fight against evil.
• Thematic Analysis: The contrast between the two women reflects the novel’s broader exploration of gender roles. While Lucy represents the dangers of passive femininity, Mina represents a more empowered vision of womanhood, capable of contributing to society in meaningful ways.

Question 6

Sexual Innocence vs. Emotional Restraint

Answer 6

• Key Contrast: Lucy’s openness about her sexuality (desiring to marry multiple men) marks her as a figure of transgressive femininity, while Mina’s sexual restraint and devotion to her husband reflect Victorian ideals of purity. Lucy’s desire is punished through vampirism, while Mina is rewarded for her moral and emotional control.
• Language Technique: Lucy’s flirtatious language with her suitors contrasts with Mina’s more formal, restrained tone in her interactions with Jonathan. The differences in tone between the two characters emphasize their contrasting moral paths.
• Symbolism: Lucy’s transformation into a vampire symbolizes the punishment of women who express sexual desire, while Mina’s successful navigation of Victorian expectations positions her as a more acceptable female figure.
• Critical Perspective: Feminist critics often argue that Mina’s portrayal, while more progressive than Lucy’s, still reflects Victorian limitations on women’s roles. Although Mina is intelligent and capable, her success is still tied to her ability to conform to societal expectations, while Lucy’s failure reflects the dangers of transgressing those boundaries.