Gender Inversion Inverted in Dracula

Bram Stoker's novel Dracula is unarguably sexually charged even though it is spawned in a world of Victorian morals and values. Stoker uses sexuality in Dracula as a commentary on thepolitics and society. Christopher Craft spotlights sexuality in Dracula through his essay "Kiss Mewith Those Red Lips: Gender and Inversion in Bram Stoker's Dracula." Craft argues that the stereotypical roles of both men and women in reference to a Victorian time period are twisted and inverted to break expectation including sexual awareness and openness as well as homosexuality. Dracula may indeed be read under the scope of psychosexual intentions and certainly is denouncing the possibility of gender inversion and the real danger whether perceived or actualized of homosexuality and eroticism. It can be argued using Christopher Craft's own reasoning that he mistakenly analyzed the role of women in his article.

Christopher Craft argues that the primary use of sexuality and gender placement in the novel Dracula is through the biting, and thus transmission of the vampiric role from vampire to victim. The mouth has long been a source of sexual identification, and the seeking of the vampire to sustain themselves through the blood, or bodily fluid of the victim places the vampire into hyper-sexualized territory. Craft views the teeth or fangs of the vampire as a decidedly male trait through the role it plays in penetration of the body, or male to female. When the teeth pierce or penetrate the victim's skin, Craft then argues that blood is also representative of semen, another bodily fluid that spawns and sustains life. As a male and apparent father of the vampires, Dracula penetrates and in effect rapes his victims taking their life and Victorian realities, then flipping them causing them to give in to sexual temptation and satisfaction. There are two categories of the time "the penetrating and the receptive" (445).

The three voluptuous female vampires are particularly interesting when discussing gender inversion in Dracula. These three, decidedly sexualized characters have been inverted from expectations of females of the time to sexually open and aware temptresses who seek to satisfy their urges on Jonathan Harker who is subjugated to the role of woman who can only accept penetration by the dominant female vampires. By penetrating Harker these women would take on the role of male, represented by the sharp teeth, the phallic symbol of choice to sexually penetrate the victim. Jonathan Harker is both disgusted and aroused by the thought of these voluptuous vampires "kissing" or seeking their sustenance (42-51).

It is important to note that Dracula interrupts the certain devouring of Jonathan Harker and forces the three females away telling them "How dare you touch him, any of you? How dare you cast eyes on him when I had forbidden it? Back, I tell you all! This man belongs to me!" (43).

The Count then defends his love, perhaps for Harker, or blood itself. This scene is wholly homoerotic and places Harker continually in the female role of receiving with the dominant Count Dracula in the role of male, or the one to penetrate and control the situation.

Furthermore the character of Lucy Westerna is a case of gender inversion for Craft. Upon victimization by Dracula, Lucy becomes overly sexualized and a constant seeker of sexual satisfaction through her three male suitors. She inverts the expectation of the gentle female to be pursued and pursues the men herself. She seeks to penetrate them and devour their blood, representative of semen. Once damned by the vampire, Lucy is a sexualized and descriptively sexual character, also voluptuous. Upon death Lucy's beauty returns but not before flipping gender roles with Arthur boldly (for a woman of the time) asking to be satisfied with kisses.

I completely agree with Christopher Craft in his assertions of homosexuality being present. I too view the mouth and teeth, subsequent invasion and penetration of the body with sharp white teeth to be representative of a phallic symbol and placing male emphasis and characteristics upon the vampire, whether they be male or female in actuality.

Where I would differ with Craft is upon viewing a statement that he himself noted in the novel. Craft points out "Yet we must remember that the vampire mouth is first of all Dracula's mouth, and that all subsequent versions of it (in Dracula all vampires other than the Count are female)." He goes further to note that Dracula controls "his children" and that they feed for him (446). This simple note is important in understanding that the control lies with the Count. He bids his female vampires to do as he chooses. The Count is in effect the vampire, one and all. They become him. The three female vampires as well as Lucy Westerna were only female in their human forms. Upon victimization, penetration, blood letting, and vampirization the female in them not only took on the male traits of being the dominant force and penetrator but they became in effect male.

To argue that the women in Bram Stoker's Dracula are inverted and take on decidedly male roles of the Victorian era is to assume that they remain female while utilizing the given male traits. I would argue that upon becoming a vampire one becomes male in every social and functioning role. The vampire is the one to penetrate, regardless of anatomy or genitalia, the vampire is male via the orifice of the mouth and the penetrating teeth.

Although the female bodies of the vampiric daughters allure Jonathan Harker, it is their desire to penetrate him and subjugate him to inferior sexual roles, and the Count's ultimate control over the situation that relegate their female appearance to merely that, the outside appearance. One cannot judge a book by its cover, and so one cannot view the vampiric trio or Lucy Westerna as epitome of female sexuality gone crazy simply by their outward appearance. It is too simple to say that the vampire females are inverted into male roles. They cannot take on the male role if they are male.

I agree with the homoerotic view of the Count and Jonathan Harker, but admitting that the Count controls his children, proves that the female vampire's lust over Harker, and his subsequent desire for them is also a homosexual experience.

There is largely one sex present in Dracula, that of the male. The only female representation is that of Mina, and Lucy prior to her damnation via the vampire. The male group of light, Dracula, Harker, and all female vampires monopolize the novel with their male traits and roles as penetrator to the few female receivers. The completion of the novel places sexual roles clearly back in order. With the birth of Little Quincy I agree with Christopher Craft that the sexual evils of the vampire and homosexuality is defeated, Little Quincy represents a return to the ideal sex roles of Victorian era.