Collectively, they are known as the "sisters", and are at one point described as the "weird sisters". Although the three vampire women in Dracula are generally referred to as the "Brides of Dracula" in popular culture and media, they are never referred to as such in the novel.
Thriving on discovering real-life connections to literature and folklore, the name Westenra drew his attention and, pausing for a moment as only a folklorist struck by a new light can, he observed that the Lords Rossmore bore the surname Westenra, the same surname of one of Dracula's main female victims, Lucy Westenra.
What is the significance of the presentation of the female vampires in Dracula?
Stoker's original novel allows for some complexity of the women by presenting them only through Jonathan and Van Helsing's biased points of view, and a closer reading reveals that the female vampires serve to critique gender roles of the early 19th century.
That said, Dracula ultimately promotes the traditional gender roles and sexual behavior of its time by showing victories of male dominance over female dominance, male daring over male submission, heterosexuality over homosexuality, and domesticity over divorce.
Deville briefly explains that with three brides, they are at their most potent. This inclusion deviates from the traditional Dracula lore. To complete the ritual, they must drink from his blood, turning them into a half-vampire, only becoming a full-fledged vampire when he drinks from them.
Count Dracula is drawn to Mina because of her purity and innocence. His plan to move to London and make it his new feeding ground places him in a reverse colonial position. He will gradually destroy Victorian norms by turning ladies like Mina into ravenous, lustful creatures like his Transylvanian brides.
Mina's sexuality remains enigmatic throughout the whole of Dracula. Though she marries, she never gives voice to anything resembling a sexual desire or impulse, which enables her to retain her purity. Indeed, the entire second half of the novel concerns the issue of Mina's purity.
She is a paragon of virtue and innocence, qualities that draw not one but three suitors to her. Lucy differs from her friend in one crucial aspect, however—she is sexualized. Lucy's physical beauty captivates each of her suitors, and she displays a comfort or playfulness about her desirability that Mina never feels.
Carmilla is an 1872 Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) by 25 years.
The Brides of Dracula are characters in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. They are three seductive female vampire "sisters" who reside with Count Dracula in his castle in Transylvania, where they entrance male humans with their beauty and charm, and then proceed to feed upon them for their blood.
Why did Dracula choose Lucy? Largely Lucy is chosen for her beauty and purity which directly counters the ideas of vampirisms. Choosing her serves as a symbol of corruption of good, and her repressed sexual desires further fuel Dracula to make her his first English victim.
This article will argue that these two works present the female vampire as a representation of fears and introspection over the implications of female ascension in the nineteenth century. Even more than a century later, the vampire is one of the most prolific, substantial and discussed entities from European folklore.
The myth surrounding Countess Bathory holds that she bathed in the blood of virgins in the hope of appearing younger; she was deathly afraid of aging and tried anything to stop the process. "Dracula was a Woman" provides a less dramatized and frenzied account of the murders.
Meanwhile, Dracula's daughter, Countess Marya Zaleska, enters the jail, mesmerizes Albert with her jeweled ring, and – with the aid of her manservant, Sandor – steals Dracula's body from the jail. After tossing salt on the pyre, the Countess ritualistically burns Dracula's body, hoping to break her curse of vampirism.
In the novel, Lucy was turned; into a vampire; by Dracula for no clear reason at all; but in the tv series, she is turned; into a vampire; by Dracula for betraying her ex-best friend, Mina Murray; by having sex with Mina's then-fiancé, Jonathan Harker. Lucy lost her virginity to Jonathan in "Come to Die".
In the Dracula novel, Mina and Lucy's romantic relationship is mostly played out in writing throughout the text, in letters and journals to and about each other. In the film, their relationship is mostly evidenced through looks.
Accompanied by Lucy's suitors, Van Helsing tracks her down and confronts her. The men dispatch her by stabbing her with a stake and then beheading her.
After Dracula learns of this plot against him, he takes revenge by visiting - and biting - Mina at least three times. Dracula also feeds Mina his own blood, dooming her to become a vampire should she die.
None of the romantic scenes between Mina and Dracula appeared in the book either, such as when they meet outside the movie house and when they drink absinthe together. Mina was never intended to be Dracula's love interest; she was madly in love with Jonathan Harker.
The male characters in Bram Stoker's Dracula perceive women from a misogynistic viewpoint, meaning they consider women to be the weaker sex and are venerated only for their beauty and innocence. Any behavior or action beyond this, including the expression of sexual desire, is seen as repulsive or ugly.
In the end, after Dracula's death, Mina is restored to her previous state. The mark on her forehead symbolizes Mina's transformation. Shortly after being bitten by Dracula, Dr. Van Helsing places a communion wafer on her forehead, burning her and leaving a scar.
Not only does Mina utilize her sexual prowess to seduce and stun Van Helsing as he races to destroy Dracula's castle, but her love for Dracula literally gives her the ability to summon storms to block the sun.
Dracula forces Min to drink his blood in an effort to connect him to her and to overpower her with the intentions of killing her. Why it matters: This scene demonstrates the lack of identity Dracula has as well as the control he fights for.
