Female Sexuality in Dracula
Throughout the novel, female vampires are painted in a sexualized manner. The diction employed to describe female vampires is overtly sexual, especially in relation to Dracula’s three female vampires and the once pure Lucy Westenra. The presentation of powerful sexual women proves to be a threat to the male characters, who cannot handle the promiscuity and power of a seductive woman. Ultimately, the promiscuous manner in which female vampires in Bram Stoker’s Dracula are written both explores the often uncharted territory of female sexuality — albeit in a negative light — as well as introduces a dynamic between eroticism and vampires that set the tone for the modern vampire genre.
Female sexuality does not often take the spotlight in early literature, but with the concept of the “New Woman” increasing in popularity, sexual autonomy was slowly gaining advocacy. Even so, women written to exude such sexuality almost always paid the price. The passage in which Jonathan first meets the vampire sisters is critical to highlight in a discussion of female sexuality. The three vampires, described as “voluptuous,” have an unquestionable power over their victim, Jonathan Harker. They elicit “longing” yet also “fear.” They are “thrilling” but “repulsive” (Stoker 42). The dilemma of involuntary attraction yet repulsion at the sexual woman is illustrated with these contrasting adjectives. Additionally, the image of the vulnerable Jonathan laying on the couch as these women discuss preying on him is quite contrasting to the usual scene portrayed in literature or film. In this situation they are the dominant ones, completely flipping the script on the male protagonist. This is seen clearly as Jonathan describes the fair vampire “advanc[ing]” and “ben[ding]” over him, “simply gloating” and “lick[ing] her lips like an animal” (Stoker 42). She is in complete control, reducing Jonathan to the passive partner in this sexual situation.
The open display of female sexuality is done at a cost — Stoker, like so many other 19th century authors, is sure to link the sexual female and evil. These women are “fiends,” and their sexuality and power is a thing to fear (Stoker 43). The juxtaposition Jonathan uses above to describe the female vampires illustrate the conflicting feelings he feels towards the seductive woman. The sex repressed Jonathan is both wanting to be seduced and frightened by this blatant display of female sexuality and power. The repetition of the image of Jonathan closing his eyes indicates a dilemma with the seductive woman: he can’t handle her blatant sexuality but also wants to be taken by her. In this sense, a new power relationship between these women and the passive Jonathan Harker is presented. Stoker himself seems to have this confliction — he is willing to portray women having sexual agency, but only at the expense of being a vampire or eventually becoming one, such as in Lucy’s case — thus becoming evil. In this sense Stoker links female sexuality to evil, and the free expression of women’s sexuality is henceforth limited.
Lucy presents an interesting paradox. She is sweet and innocent, as constantly described by Mina, but unlike Mina, men are always doting over her. Despite her apparent purity, Lucy lamenting over the fact that women can’t “marry three men, or as many as want her” introduces a sexual desire of her character that differs starkly from how many perceive her (Stoker 60). This desire is magnified in her vampire form, where Stoker once again employs oxymorons and contrasting adjectives to link the seductive woman to evil: Lucy speaks in a “diabolically sweet” tone, and Lucy’s “sweetness” and “purity” have now turned to “cruelty” and “voluptuous wantonness” (Stoker 187, 188). Stoker effectively associates sweetness with purity and cruelty — or evil — with sexual agency. With Lucy, Stoker is able to paint female sexuality in a negative light — it is only after Lucy becomes a vampire that she is “voluptuous” and “wanton” (Stoker 188). Ultimately, Lucy’s purity and innocence is restored at the expense of her life; it is only once staked and rid of vampirism that Lucy returns to her pure and sweet self. At the expense of vampirism Lucy freely expresses her sexuality, and at the expense of death by threatened men she is reduced to her pure self.
Stoker further links vampirism to sex through female sexuality by repeatedly using “kisses” as an analogy for biting and bloodsucking. The three vampire sisters claim that there will be “kisses for [them] all” — kisses being bites, or bloodsucking (Stoker 42). This idea is used once again, as Lucy twice tells Arthur that she wishes to kiss him, which Van Helsing reveals would have only left Arthur dead at the hands of his lover via an assumed bite instead of kiss (Stoker 191). Additionally, throughout the novel Stoker repeatedly draws attention to the “voluptuous” “red” lips of vampires (Stoker 42). The focus on the lips of vampires adds an erogenous aspect to them, and as they cover the very teeth that sink into their victims, another sexual aspect is added to vampirism. There is also an evident sexual attraction vampires often hold towards their victims. The sexual manner in which the three vampire sisters spoke of Harker, as well as the repeated attempt of Lucy to draw Arthur close to give him a “kiss” — not to mention Dracula’s victims and vampires being beautiful women — all point towards sexual attraction playing a role in vampires’ attraction to victims. The human protagonists of the story aren’t portrayed as experiencing this same sexual desire — at least not willingly. It is only the vampires, noticeably the female vampires, that elude such sexual energy.
Bram Stoker’s own hesitancy at writing a sexual woman is evident in his novel, as his sexual characters are promiscuous at the expense of being vampires and therefore evil. Only with the help of “virtuous” men may these sexual women be tamed and the balance of the natural state of things be restored. Stoker’s sensual vampires are a breath of fresh air in a rigid and often conservative Victorian society. Yet the fear of a sexual woman shines through in his novel, as a woman may only be sexual as a vampire, henceforth effectively linking female sexuality and promiscuity to evil.
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. 1st ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 1996.