MM Oct 6

We started off class by talking about Lucy's Metamorphosis from a human to a vampire. We are told by Professor Mathur to read Chapters 18-21 of Dracula for Friday's class. She also reminds us about midterm grades; they will be either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, depending on the amount of classes/quizzes students have missed. For Friday, October 15th's class, we add some changes to the syllabus: we now have to read Carol Senf p. 421, and Stephen D. Arata p. 462 instead of those readings listed in the syllabus. We talked about the character change in Lucy for a bit, and pointed out that Van Helsing seemed very secretive about Lucy's behavior.

We moved on to a writing assignment, where we had to write a paragraph by choosing between 2 questions. The first was about Lucy's metamorphosis: "What were some of the words of phrases used to describe the undead Lucy? What are some of the differences between Vampire and Human Lucy? Would you compare or contrast the two figures?". The second question was regarding Lucy's death: "How is Lucy killed? What new things do we learn from this scene? Why doesn't Van Helsing allow Arthur to kiss the undead Lucy? Why is Arthur chosen to drive in the stake that ends her life? How might the death scene invert the marriage ritual?" In discussion, we note that Lucy is described as monstrous, showing an elegance or beauty, her eyes reflected hellfire and holy light, her cheeks had a bloom. Sharp teeth, and voluptuous are other terms used to describe the new Lucy. Her hair color changes from blonde to dark. Answering the 2nd question, students note that vampires aren't immortal; they can be killed by the stake. We talk about how Lucy references marriage rituals through the blood transfusions that take place, and that the men were "taking advantage of her" in a way. The kiss could have been a vampiric influence. Lucy's marriage was supposed to take place on September 28th, which is the same day these incidents with the men occur. Discussing the religious and secular context of her death & burial, it is compared to priests performing exorcisms. We end this with mentioning the "Crew of Light" - the group of the men, with Harker and Mina get together to go after Dracula.

We then go into discussion with fellow classmates about topics based on pages 163-69, 196-99, 202-03; After Lucy's death, Mina is the only woman left in the novel: "What differences do you see in Lucy's interaction with the male character, and Mina's interaction with them, on the other hand? Do the men treat Mina differently than Lucy? Why or why not? If Lucy defied Victorian norms with unconscious sexuality, does Mina conform to the mold?" We note that Lucy has the "Damsel in Distress" character. She is more passive, while Mina is active, especially with the group of men. Both women are linked to the men in similar ways. Mina is also trying to get closer to Dracula, and she's more active in housekeeping, as a maternal figure. Professor Mathur points to Friday as change of events in the novel will signify the difference between Lucy and Mina even more. Mina is shown to attempt to engage in professional activities.

Towards the end of class, we watch a Youtube clip of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 5 Episode 1, where Buffy has an encounter with Dracula. The question thrown out there after the short clip is how Buffy challenges the stereotypes and assumptions we made about Dracula. We decide on the thought that there is a definite reduction of the power of Dracula in the short encounter. Buffy doesn't react to him with the fear others have known to react with, although it was meant to be a parody. We end class with Mathur mentioning that we will be talking about Twilight in relation to Dracula next week.