Such a Beast Sexuality and Humanization in Dracula

Over the course of cinematic history, many filmmakers have attempted to recreate the chilling, unprecedented world of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Arguably very few have succeeded, for the majority of directors tend to avoid the pervasive sexuality inherent in the novel. It is a difficult task to achieve, considering the blatant imagery surrounding sex and vampirism, such as the reproduction following a vampiric encounter and the phallocentric nature of the violence committed both by and against these creatures: penetration is involved in their hunting, and one must impale them with a stake in order to destroy them. Readers are thereby forced to admit that Dracula is, in fact, a highly eroticized piece of literature, though whether or not†¦show more content†¦The fact that Jonathan goes so willingly into the allurement suggests that perhaps there is not such a big difference between man and beast, human and demon. Following in this trend of vampiric seductiveness, the next part of Stoker’s novel to hint at carnality occurs during Lucy’s metamorphosis from a â€Å"so sweet lady† to a creature of â€Å"voluptuous wantonness† (Stoker 173; 187). Stoker creates an unmistakable boundary between the two Lucy’s: the one preceding Dracula’s arrival to London, and the one following her transformation into the Un-dead. He dedicates two full paragraphs to describing the stark contrast between the two identities, pointing out aspects of her appearance – her expressions and her lips, among other things – and actions that have become polar opposites in her personality. During life, Miss Lucy Westenra is consistently described as possessing â€Å"sweetness† and â€Å"purity† (Stoker 173). Once Count Dracula has infected her, however, she physically changes from the woman she was in life, with her eyes going from â€Å"pure, gentle or bs† to eyes that are â€Å"unclean and full of hell-fire† (Stoker 174). Stoker makes this distinction intrinsically clear in order to illustrate for his audience the vast differences between human and vampire. As a woman she was fair and good; her vampire alter-ego is cruel,Show MoreRelatedVampires : The Symbolism Of Horror In Dracula By Bram Stoker1180 Words   |  5 PagesVampires have been around for centuries, they represent the fear of many things such as sexuality, race, gender, etc. and above all, they stand for the fear of diseases. Vampires have once been the symbol of horror due to their terrific depictions and were described as a threat to the humanity. Throughout time, the image of vampire has changed dramatically from a monstrous, inhumanely creature that doesn’t belong to human society to such an attractive and adaptive figure that expresses more of the