The Angel of the House versus the Bloofer Lady : a study of the different female characters in Bram Stoker’s novels

Abstract

The role of women in society is one of the major themes in Victorian literature. Women have been presented in many stereotypical categories yet not one of these stereotypes can be deemed the true representation of the female. This thesis will study three novels by Bram Stoker: 'Dracula' (1897), 'The Jewel of Seven Stars' (1903) and 'The Lair of the White Worm' (1911). It will discuss the way women are represented in them. The category of the New Woman and the traditional meeker woman will be given most importance as they are the two opposing poles representing women. An important starting point will be the discussion of the archetype of the Terrible Woman: the figure of Lilith which is taken as the point from which all male unconscious fears of the female originated. This will be the main subject in Chapter 1. A brief look at the literary tradition featuring the figure of the woman at its most powerful and alluring will follow in the same chapter. Chapter 2 will focus on Victorian society and the life of the author Bram Stoker with particular reference to the problems women were facing. The social prejudices which created a norm of behaviour for certain types of women and another for different women will also be included in this chapter along with the main discussion. However, the women who challenged these norms were labelled New Women and were heavily criticised and mocked by the journalistic voice of society. The three novels chosen for discussion were chosen because of their ability to focus on different representations of women – from the ideal to the over-reaching and shunned woman. Chapter 3, the last chapter, contains the detailed study of these novels. The aim of this thesis is to provide a clearer idea of the real representation of the Victorian woman in society from the point of view of the element which mirrors society – literature.