MM Oct 1

Notes by Michelle H:

We started today's class with a quiz. Then we discussed "whether we could place Mina or Lucy in the context of the so-called 'New Women'". The majority of the class agreed that Mina is the prodigy of the 'New Woman' as shown through her use of a typewriter, "esoteric technology", which would seem ludicrous for anyone, especially a woman, to utilize. She also talks of a means to help her husband with his work. Mina also has a job as well which further exemplifies how she defies a Victoria woman. Although Lucy does show signs of being a 'New Woman' through her promiscuous and flirtatious behavior, she is more of a Victorian woman. Unlike Mina, Lucy relies on a man to support her for the rest of her life.

Next we discussed the reason that Dracula targeted Lucy. It was discussed that, due to Lucy's flirtatious behavior she made herself a perfect target. There also seems to be a parallel between the behavior of Dracula's three women and Lucy. Furthermore suggesting that Dracula made Lucy a target because she reminded him so much of the other three women, who he may in fact have infected to begin with. It was also brought up that there is a possibility that Lucy was targeted by means of Dracula getting to Mina. This would further exemplify why Dracula had Jonathan stay with him for a month and read his letter that he released, including the ones he sent to Mina. It does not seem coincidental that Dracula would target her husband then go to London and harm her best friend at the same house that Mina stays at.

Lastly, we discussed the similarities and the differences between Lucy's encounter with Dracula and Jonathan's interaction with the vampire women. One similarity we found was that both of the victims relapsed into unconsciousness. However, there were more differences between the two encounters. When Jonathan meets the women vampires, he says that "there was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive" (42). Lucy is attacked as well but there is no account for any desire or repulsion she had for Dracula when he enticed her out of the house to bite her. Also, Jonathan was conscious and awake when the vampire women advanced on him, while Lucy was walking in her sleep. Lucy remembered the encounter as a dream while Jonathan remembered the incident as actually happening. Jonathan was not bitten and saved by the vampire, Dracula. On the other hand, Lucy was bitten and saved by her friend, Mina.