A Vampire In The Mirror: The Sexuality Of Dracula
A Vampire in the Mirror: The Sexuality of DraculaAuthor(s): John Allen StevensonSource: PMLA, Vol. 103, No. 2 (Mar., 1988), pp. 139-149Published by: Modern Language AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/462430 .Accessed: 02/01/2014 18:06Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at ms.jsp.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.Modern Language Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to PMLA.http://www.jstor.orgThis content downloaded from 173.76.209.249 on Thu, 2 Jan 2014 18:06:27 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
JOHN ALLEN STEVENSONA Vampirein theMirror:The SexualityofDraculaNEAR THE END of Dracula, as thebandof vampirehuntersis trackingthecounttohisCarpathianlair,Mina Harkerimploresherhusbandto killherifherpartialtransformationintoa vampireshould become complete.Her demand for this "euthanasia" (the phrase is Dr.Seward's[340]) is itselfextraordinary,butequallyinterestingis thewayshe edtheirwivesand womenkind,to keepthemfromfalling into the hands of the enemy. . It is men'sdutytowardsthosewhomtheylove,in suchtimesof soretrial!"(336). Whyis this"duty"incumbenton "bravemen"?Whyare"wivesand womenkind"a treasure better destroyedthan lost to the"enemy"?In thecontextof BramStoker'snovel,itis evidentthatthemercyimpliedbysucheuthanasia is notsalvationfromtheloathsomeembracesofa lewdforeigner.It is too late forthat.Mina, afterall, has alreadybeentheobjectof Dracula's attention. The problemis one of loyalty:thedangerisnot thatshe willbe capturedbut thatshe willgowillingly.She makesthisclear: "thistime,ifitevercome, may come quickly . . . and . . . you mustlose no timein usingyouropportunity.At such atime,I myselfmightbe-nay! if the time evercomes,shall be-leagued withyourenemyagainstyou" (337). Kill me, she says,beforeI can forwomencan hardlybe questioned-passageslikethese can be multipliedalmost indefinitely.Butwhatis thenatureof thatcompetition?Certainly,a numberof readershaveagreedon one interpretation.As theywouldhaveit,thehorrorwe feelincontemplatingDracula is that his actions,whenstrippedof displacementand disguise,are fundamentallyincestuousand thatStoker'snovelis finallya rathertransparentversionof the earsafterpublicationofthenovel-in TotemandTaboo.' Accordingto this interpretation(as oneadherenthas it,"almosta donneeofDracula criticism"[Twitchell,LivingDead 135]),thecount,undeniablylonginthetooth,attemptsto hoardall theavailablewomen,leavingtheyoungergeneration,his "sons," no recoursebutto riseup and lves.The noveldoes concernhow one old man("centuries-old,"he tellsus) struggleswithfouryoungmen(and anotherold, but good, man,Dr.VanHelsing)forthebodiesand soulsoftwoyoung(Twitchwomen.Butto callthatstrifeintrafamilialell, DreadfulPleasures 139) or to say thatall thecharacters,includingDracula,arelinked"as membersof one family"(Richardson428) seemsto bemoreof a tributeto theauthoritypsychoanalysiscriticsthanitis an illuminatenjoysamongliteraryingdescriptionof Stoker'snarrative.I wouldliketo rethinkthewaysexualcompetitionworksinDracula fromtheperspectiveof thatanthropolfrequentantagonistof psychoanalysis,ogy.Nowhereis thegulfbetweentheseuniversalizing disciplinesgreater,perhaps,than it is on thesubjectthatobsessesthemboth,incest.2A gooddeal ofrecentanthropologicalworkarguesthat,asone prominentscholarputsit,"humanbeings[do]notwantto commitincestall thatmuch"(Fox,Redinthisessayis to applythisLamp 7). My intentionmodelof morecustomaryFreudianmodel.As Mina's remarksabove indicate, the spirenotas a monstrousfatherbutas a foreigner,and terrifiessomeonewho threatenspreciselybecause he is an outsider.In otherwords,it maybefruitfulto reconsiderStoker'scompellingand fresexualquentlyretoldstoryin termsof interracialcompetitionratherthan as intrafamilialstrife.Dracula's pursuitof Lucyand Mina is motivated,notbytheincestuousgreedat theheartof Freud'sscenario,butbyan omnivorousappetitefordifferHis crimeis notthehoardingofence,fornovelty.incestbuta sexualtheft,a sinwecan termexcessiveexogamy.Althoughtheold counthas womenofhisinthewomenwhointerestedown,he is exclusivelycanbelongto someoneelse. This reconsiderationyielda freshappreciationoftheappeal of Stoker'sstoryand can suggestwaysin whichthenovelembodiesa quitepowerfulimaginingofthenatureofculturaland racialdifference.thisBeforeexplaininghow Dracula representskindof exogamousthreat,I wantto reviewbriefly139This content downloaded from 173.76.209.249 on Thu, 2 Jan 2014 18:06:27 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
140A Vampirein the Mirror:The Sexualityof Draculasomebasic anthropologicalideas about marriageas theyrelateto theincesttacustoms,particularlyaswasonce imagined,an absoboo.3While not,luteuniversalof humanbehavior,thetaboo is verycommon,and variousbenefits-geneticdiversity,theexistenceof socifamilypeace, social stability,to it. More theoriginoftheto Dracula thanresult.Sexthatisonetheso-calledruleof exogamyofcourse,arenotthesamething,butand marriage,issincesex typicallya partof themaritalrelation,thetaboo's injunctionagainstsexwithinthefamilymeansthatpeople must"marryout." Anthropology has devoted considerable energy torulesand njusthumanityhas establishedwomenare "inside" thefamilyand henceforbidavailden and whichare "outside" and semostculturesplace significantmisleading,limitationson how farout a matemaybe sought.As RobinFox says,"Of course,[exogamy]had tohavesomeboundaries. . . Groupsspeakingthesamelanguageand beingalikein otherwaysmightwell exchangewivesamong themselves-buttheconnubiumstoppedat theboundariesof thelanmarked'us'or colour,or whateverguage,territory,offfrom'them"' (Kinship78). The exchangeofwomenthatis theessenceofexogamyhas uresmaintaintheinhavealsowantedtofamily,theya constructencompassterm,an inherentlytribe,caste,class,ingall mannerof classifications:on.But itsvaguenessrace,religion,nation,and soofthedistinctiontheimportancedoes notdiminishFox speaks of, thatboundarybetween"us" and"them," howeverartificiallythat line mightbedrawn.And accordingto theselights,marriage,orevena to be a social actthatsimultaneouslyandbecomesinsteadincestand affirmsthegroupa threat,what I earliercalled excessiveexogamy.theDeuteronomistThiswas theproblemworryingwhen he cautioned the Jewsthat intermarriagewould"turnawaythysons . . . thattheymayserveothergods" (7.3),and thiswasthekindofexogamyof marriage,thegreatpioneerof arck,coinedthememorablephrase"social adultery"(2:51).Here,then,is therealhorrorof Dracula,forhewhose purposeisis the ultimatesocial adulterer,nothingifitis notto turngood EnglishwomenlikeLucyand Mina awayfromtheirownkindand customs.Mina's fear,we recall,is thatshe "shall be. . . leaguedwithyourenemyagainstyou."Whatsortof enemy,foreigner,strangeris CountDracula?I haveclaimedthatinterracialsexualcompetitionis fundamentalto theenergiesthatmotivate this novel, but in what way are vampiresanother"race"? As a today,despitethemanyas partof the nineteenthattempts-particularlycenturyzeal forclassification-to elevateit to ascienceinvolvingphysicalcriterialikejaws, cheekbones,cranialcapacities,and so on. It is,however,a convenientmetaphorto describetheundeniablehumantendencyto separate"us" from"them."Anidea like race helps us grapple with humanotherness-thefactthatwedo notall look alikeorbelievealike or act alike. Dracula is, above all,strangeto those he encounters-strangein hishabits,strangein his appearance,strangein hisphysiology.At one point,Van Helsingcalls him"theother"(297), and thecompetitionforwomeninthenovelreflectsa conflictbetweengroupsthatdefinethemselvesas foreignto each other.My useof theterminterracial,then,is a wayto speak ofwhathappenswhenanytwogroupssetthemselvesat odds on thebasis of whattheysee as differencesintheirfundamentalidentity,be that"racial,"ethnic,tribal,religious,national,or whatever.4The problemof interracialcompetitionwouldhaveprobablyhad an especialresonancein 1897,the yearDracula appeared. For severaldecades,Great Britain had been engaged in an unprecedentedprogramof colonial expansion:fourand one quartermillionsquaremileswereaddedtothe empirein the last thirtyyearsof the e,was notnew,norwas suspicionof foreignersa novinaeltycountrywhere,as one eighteenth-centurywitput it, "Beforetheylearnthereis a God to beto beworshipped,theylearnthereare Frenchmendetested"(qtd.inPorter21). Yetthelatenineteenthcenturysaw theriseof thatgreatvulgarizationofevolution(and powerfulracistrationalization),social Darwinism,and heardDisraelisay,"Allis race;thereis no othertruth"(qtd.inFaber59). Dracula'sinsistenceon theterrorand necessityofracialstrugingle an landand plansto takeitover)mustreflectthathistoricalframe.My emphasisin thisesis on Stoker'snovelas a representationsay,however,This content downloaded from 173.76.209.249 on Thu, 2 Jan 2014 18:06:27 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
JohnAllen Stevensonof fearsthatare moreuniversalthana specificfocus on the Victorianbackgroundwould allow.commentabout exogamyas socialWestermarck'swithDracula (hisadulteryis indeedcontemporaryHistoryofHuman Marriagewas firstpublishedinnothwas eDeuteronomistingnoton thefacingthemenwhonia before.And thedifficultyisnotunlikethatexpressedbyfightthe vampireRoderigoto Brabantio,in lines firstspokenat amuch earlier time in Britishimperial history:/ TyDesdemona,he says,has made "a grossrevolt,ingherduty,beauty,wit,and fortunes/ In an exand wheelingstranger. . . " (1.1.131-33).travagantthen,at thisstranger,Letus look morespecifically,Count Dracula.First,appearances.Dracula is describedrepeatedly,alwaysin thesame way,withthesame pecuemphasized.TakeMina's firstsightofliarfeatureshim:I knewhimat once fromthedescriptionof theothers.The waxenface;thehighaquilinenose,on whichthelightfellina eethshowingbetween;and theredeyesthatI hadseemedto see inthesunseton thewindowsof St. Mary'sChurchat Whitby.I knew,too,theredscar on his fore(292-93)head whereJonathanhad struckhim.lookingforhisnose,fortheDracula is remarkablecolorof hislipsand eyesand skin,fortheshapeofhisteeth,forthemarkon his forehead;elsewhere,we learn also that he has a strangesmell (257).Color,in fact,whichis commonlyusedinattemptsis a keyelementin Stoker'sat racialclassification,creation of Dracula's foreignness.Here, andthe novel,theemphasisis on rednessthroughouteach colorisand whiteness.In a briefdescription,mentionedthreetimes(I count"waxen"as white),and thecombinationofthetwocolorsis one oftheThat itracialfeatures.count'smostdistinguishingis racial,and notpersonal,becomesclearwhenweofusesa combinationnotehowStokerconsistentlyredand whiteto indicateeitherincipientor completedvampirism.The womenHarkerencountersat Castle Dracula, whileone is blond and twoareredand white("Allthreehaddark,areall insttherubyof theirvoluptuouslips" [46]). More significant,Lucyand Mina takeon thiscolorationasDracula workshiswillon them.Thereis firstof allthereiteratedimageof redblood on a whitenight-141thatDraculaleavesbegown(103,288),a signaturehind afterone of his visits (and a traditionalis theemblemof defloration).Evenmorestrikinginafutileat dagainstprotectMinait the "red scar on mypoor darling'swhiteforeof redandhead" (321). The scar,a concentrationthemarkon sp.312),thusbecomesa kindofin a homogecaste mark,a signof membershipneous group-and a groupthatis foreignto themento whomMina supposedlybelongs.The scarsharedbyDraculaand Mina,one oftheevenrichestdetailsin thenovel,has a Van Helsing),so thattheyrepresentto "markoff"thean attemptbythenonvampiresamarkon Cain, inaltypeof an alienbecause itnotonlyis also a kindof uctionbecause the echo of Hamlet's accusationagainstGertrudeis fartoo strongto be accidental:"Suchan act / Thatblursthegraceand blushofmodesty,takesofftherose/ From/ Calls virtuehypocrite,thefairforeheadof an innocentlove,/ And setsablisterthere. . . " (3.4.41-45).5The scaris thusa(seeingit,Mina criesout, "Unsignof defilementclean!Unclean!" [302]),of sexualpossessionbytheoutsider.Finally,itis curiousto thinkof a scaronDracula at all. He is remarkablyprotean,able toat Whitbychangehisform(he leavestheshipwreckinrisingmist.Whyas a dog) or eveninvolvehimselfto remain?Johnshouldhe allowthisdisfigurementthescarDantedescribeson thediscussingFreccero,purgatorialformof Manfred,insiststhata markbeingmustbe seen,notlikethison a supernaturalas literaland physical,but as a text,as somethingmeantespeciallyto be read.In thatsense,thescarson the vampiresservea dense semioticfunction,anyway)markingDracula and Mina (potentially,as simultaneouslyuntouchable, defiled, anddamned-above all, different.Red and whiteare,of course,thecolorswe associate withthetypically"English" complexion,and I wantto emphasizethatvampirecolorationistheat nis meaningful.On theonecoincidenceis createdbythehand,a "rosy"EnglishcomplexionThis content downloaded from 173.76.209.249 on Thu, 2 Jan 2014 18:06:27 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
142A Vampirein the Mirror:The Sexualityof Draculaperceptionof redthroughwhite-blood laisbeneathpale skin.The vampireinvertsthisorder.strangeto Harker-and to us-because of whatHe or shedisplaysredon white,as withthescarsorfoodhe eatsand howhe obtainsand preparesit,betheeffectof rubylips againstwaxenskin.The recause of whereand whenhe sleeps,because of hissultis ratherlikea mortician'smakeup-a parodyburialcustoms.To Harkeras to so many,whatisof whatwe expectand, as witha corpse,an effect foreignis monstrous,evenifit is onlya matterofthat finallysignalsdifferenceand not similarity. tablemanners.That is,thevampirehas no rosyglowbutpresentsIn thestructureofgroupidentity,theregulationwhatlooks likedead fleshstainedwithblood (orof sexualityhas an gthe food it requires)-aDracula is most fundamentallyconcernedwithgrotesqueinversionof good health.On wayhand,thevampireand hisEnglishcompetitorsmayvampire"monsters"and "good,bravemen"reprohavemorein commonthantheywishto acknowlduce and identifyingthe threatthosedifferencesedge.As we explorevampiresexuality,we willenpose to Van Helsingand the othermen. Our incounter a series of traits that initiallyasserttroductionto Dracula in the novel's firstsixthemselvesas foreignor strangebut that are das inversions(as inthecolorationexample),sion" to monstrosity(108)-establishesthecount'sparodies, exaggerations,or even literalizations. , the perceptionof othernesscan be an acDracula'sattemptsto reproduceand thestruggleofcurateresponseto differencetheband of youngmenunderVan Helsingto stopand,at thesametime,an act that conceals or repressesdeeper conhim.The talehorrifiesbecausethevampire'smannections.nerof reproductionappearsradicallydifferentandThe alliesagainstthecountarenotdescribedinbecause ,and theirdescriptionstendto beto ur almost formulaically-good, brave, andironicthingaboutvampiresexualityis that,forallstrong."Oh, thankGod forgood,bravemen!"saysitsovertpeculiarity,itis inmanywaysverylikehuMina, and Van Helsinginsistslater,"You menareman sexuality,but humansexualityin whichthebraveand strong"(316,332). Good is also oftenatpsychologicalor metaphoricbecomesphysicalortachedto thewomenintheirunvampedcondition:literal.It initiallylooks strangebut quite often"therearegood womenleftstillto makelifehappy"a e distinctionbetweenthemoralexcellence behavior.Whatis frighteningaboutDracula,then,of theinsidersand thephysicalpeculiarityof theis thathissexualityis eignerunderlinesa parodicmirror.This seemingparadoxprobablydanger.As Mina putsit, "[T]he worldseemsfullof goodreflectsthe fullcomplexityof the wayone groupmen-even ifthereare monstersin it" (230). Therespondsto thesexualcustomsof another.familiaris theimageof thegood,whileforeignnessWe note firstthe remarkableeconomyat alinstinct.LikehumanButlooks areonlyone wayto constructour imbeings,Dracula has theneedforself-preservation,ages of theforeign,and, as wemightexpect,Dracwhichassertsitselfinthedriveto preserveboththeula's habitsare as bizarreas his appearance.Thelifeoftheindividualand thelifeofthespecies.Theintroductorysectionof thenovel-Harker's diaryof course,is thatthevampirecan satisfydifference,accountof hisjourneyto Transylvaniaand of histhe two needs simultaneously-thesame action,stayat wersthe need erelyodd toprocreation.But thatequationof eatingand sextheunequivocallyhorrifying.ual intercourseSo, welearnearlythatliteralizedbythevampireis a conDraculalacksservants,thathe is nocturnal,thathenectionwe all makemetaphoricallyand one that,likesto eat alone,and thathe despisesmirrors,andas Levi-Straussis fondof pointingout, a numberonlylaterdo we watchhimcrawldownwallsheadof primitivetribesacknowledgeby makingthefeedsmallchildrenfirst,to hiswomen,and sleepinsame verbdo serviceforboth actions(Raw andhiscoffin.All Dracula'speculiarities,however,reCooked 269, Savage Mind 105). Dracula saysheflectfundamentalinthemostbasic hudifferencesneedsnewwomenso thathe can "feed" (312),butThis content downloaded from 173.76.209.249 on Thu, 2 Jan 2014 18:06:27 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
JohnAllen Stevensonwe knowthatis not all he means.Whilethephysiologyof vampiresexualityliteralizesa connectionbetweensexand heexpression of patternof incestavoidanceand exogamy.The is almostseducedbythethreevampirewomenhe encountersat Castle sunderstood.The problemarisesinpartbecausethetextdoes notexplicitlydefinethewomen'srelationto Dracula-who aret
to Dracula than the origin of the taboo, however, is the so-called rule of exogamy that is one result. Sex and marriage, of course, are not the same thing, but since sex is typically a part of the marital relation, the taboo's injunction against sex within the fam-
May 02, 2018 · D. Program Evaluation ͟The organization has provided a description of the framework for how each program will be evaluated. The framework should include all the elements below: ͟The evaluation methods are cost-effective for the organization ͟Quantitative and qualitative data is being collected (at Basics tier, data collection must have begun)
Silat is a combative art of self-defense and survival rooted from Matay archipelago. It was traced at thé early of Langkasuka Kingdom (2nd century CE) till thé reign of Melaka (Malaysia) Sultanate era (13th century). Silat has now evolved to become part of social culture and tradition with thé appearance of a fine physical and spiritual .
On an exceptional basis, Member States may request UNESCO to provide thé candidates with access to thé platform so they can complète thé form by themselves. Thèse requests must be addressed to esd rize unesco. or by 15 A ril 2021 UNESCO will provide thé nomineewith accessto thé platform via their émail address.
̶The leading indicator of employee engagement is based on the quality of the relationship between employee and supervisor Empower your managers! ̶Help them understand the impact on the organization ̶Share important changes, plan options, tasks, and deadlines ̶Provide key messages and talking points ̶Prepare them to answer employee questions
Dr. Sunita Bharatwal** Dr. Pawan Garga*** Abstract Customer satisfaction is derived from thè functionalities and values, a product or Service can provide. The current study aims to segregate thè dimensions of ordine Service quality and gather insights on its impact on web shopping. The trends of purchases have
Chính Văn.- Còn đức Thế tôn thì tuệ giác cực kỳ trong sạch 8: hiện hành bất nhị 9, đạt đến vô tướng 10, đứng vào chỗ đứng của các đức Thế tôn 11, thể hiện tính bình đẳng của các Ngài, đến chỗ không còn chướng ngại 12, giáo pháp không thể khuynh đảo, tâm thức không bị cản trở, cái được
converted from a bloodline of the same name from Vampire the Requiem. As always, the documents within are entirely a work of . published in 20th Anniversary Edition Vampire the Masquerade, Vampire the Dark Ages, Dark Ages Vampire, and Vampire the Requiem, published by White Wolf Publishing, a subsidiary of
when the vampire moved towards the table and reached for the overhead cord. At once the room was flooded with a harsh yellow light. And the boy, staring up at the vampire, could not repress a gasp. His fingers danced backwards on the table to grasp the edge. " Dear God! " he whispered, and then he gazed, speechless, at the vampire.
