I really liked both Corinne and Leah’s points. Leah’s comment on the captain equating suicide to death was reminiscent of Harker who also contemplated suicide instead of falling prey to Dracula. Stoker through his characters argues that death by your own means as opposed to at the hands of a monster is more appealing. Even if committing suicide the characters forgo the possibility of heaven. Harker in the beginning of the book notes that he is Christian and suicide is often not looked on favorably. However even an afterlife without heaven is better than the possibility of being preyed on by a demon.
Corinne also made an interesting point about the Lucy’s name possibly being a parallel to Lucifer. As the story goes Lucifer started out as an angel of heaven, a favorite in heaven, until he gave into a desire of rebellion. Similarly Lucy is by being a vampire is rebelling from society, she is no longer capable of fulfilling her role as a wife or one day becoming a nurturing mother. She now possesses a dangerous sexuality; she is capable of alluring men, as she was before, while still possessing a mothering quality that allows her to prey on children as well. Preying on a child is the antithesis of the nature of motherhood and in this way, she like Lucifer rebels against her intended purpose in life.
Corinne also made an interesting point about the Lucy’s name possibly being a parallel to Lucifer. As the story goes Lucifer started out as an angel of heaven, a favorite in heaven, until he gave into a desire of rebellion. Similarly Lucy is by being a vampire is rebelling from society, she is no longer capable of fulfilling her role as a wife or one day becoming a nurturing mother. She now possesses a dangerous sexuality; she is capable of alluring men, as she was before, while still possessing a mothering quality that allows her to prey on children as well. Preying on a child is the antithesis of the nature of motherhood and in this way, she like Lucifer rebels against her intended purpose in life.
RSS Feed