1

Chapter One: Introduction

Serving as a feminist reading of the fluidity of gender roles and the ramifications of this in Bram Stoker's Dracula (Stoker, 1897) and Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire (Rice, 1976); the rationale behind this research is to perform an analysis of the novels Dracula and Interview with the Vampire from a feminist point of view. In this research, the feminist perspective of the writers of these novels has been taken into consideration. In addition, a criticism of these works of literature performed on the basis of the messages that the novels convey regarding the gender roles reveals that masculinity and femininity are in fact, exchangeable. This work will attempt to ascertain this concept by discussing in detail the main characters of the two novels: Dracula and Interview with the Vampire. Some of the most prominent aims and objectives of this research are: to apply a literary criticism approach while performing a feminist oriented reading of Dracula and Interview with the Vampire; to approach works of literature with a feminist perspective and distinguish between terms such as feminist, feminine and feminism; to outline the examples of feminism in the novels Dracula and Interview with the Vampire; to differentiate between the various terms and perspectives, which form part and parcel of the feminist area of the study and lastly, to become familiar with the multiple terminologies, which prominent theorists in the subject of feminism have used in the course of research.

2 Elaine Showalter, in her essay Toward a Feminist Poetics, defined three stages of womens literature, namely, feminine, feminist, and female. In the first phase (from 1840 to 1880 approximately), women were known to imitate the men in their surroundings. This time frame therefore was known for the predominance of male ideas regarding everything including women and womens nature. The second phase known as the feminist stage lasted from 1880-1920 approximately. In this phase, the previously flexible feminine nature gave way to the more aggressive feminist posture. Amazonian utopias overpowered masculine ideas and conventions. In the Female stage, which is the last phase continued from 1920 till date, the two forms of dependence women were experiencing: imitation and rejection have been exempted from the concerns of women that characterised the initial stages: feminine and feminist. Instead, today women avail the experiences unique to their gender to create a female aesthetic, which is a unique womens literature (Showalter, 1979, 1985). This feminine journey elaborated by Showalter is visible in both Dracula and Interview with the Vampire. Gothic genre when analysed as a literature, has its own distinctive style, a key aspect of which is doubling and switching of roles, for instance the union and clashes of the known with the unknown or the familiar with the unfamiliar. This suggests fragility in the supposedly fixed norms and phenomena. This aspect of the gothic literature often refers to the two-sidedness of a single character, it can also relate to the embodiment of change or the diametric oppositions which threatens the assumptions and expectations. For example in the novel Dracula, when Jonathan Harker is transformed from a strong, masculine character into a

3 weak feminised form, a change of gender role is seen. Likewise the change of Louiss gender is a similar example of gender doublin g or feminisation of the male roles. These roles have been further discussed in the discussion chapters of this research. The two novels under discussion in this study appeared in the Victorian era thus providing the readers with several instances of gender change which came as unexpected to the readers of their respective times. In Dracula, the clash between the rational and irrational seems to be the major theme where the dominant male seems rational and the feminised male seems irrational (Jonathan Harker) likewise the suppressed female seems rational (Lucy and Mina) and the sexualised female seemed irrational (Three Sisters). Through sexuality, a transfusion of power dynamics and gender roles is visible in the novel, proving that these ideals are in fact prone to shifts (Stoker, 1997). Likewise in the Interview with the Vampire, the Vampire Louis seems to be on a journey of feminisation and undergoes all the three stages of Showalters feminist theory by undergoing changes and transformation stages (Showalter, 1985, 1979; Rice, 1976). On the whole, both the texts seem to be undergoing these shifts and adopting doubling as a tool to explore their Gothic themes and exploring new arenas of the genre. The following chapters provide an analysis of the various feminisation incidents and representations of gender roles doubling to conclude that gothic genres

4 Dracula and Interview with the Vampire contribute to and reflect on feminism and its ramifications evident in the Victorian era. The first chapter of this study contains a literature overview of the key arguments used by academics especially Showalter in the representation of the masculinisation of the female characters and the feminisation of the male characters. In the second chapter, Methodology, the gothic genre has been explored in depth along with the aspects of the feminist theory to be used. There is also a certain indication of the way the literary criticism theory is going to be applied to the primary sources of the study. In addition to this, since the studys title refers to gender fluidity so this too has been incorporated into the methodology chapter. The tools and the theoretical framework used in the main chapters of the dissertation for the interpretation of the primary sources have also been discussed. The third chapter is one of the two main discussion chapters, which considers how the two main characters of the novel Dracula; Jonathan Harker and Lucy undergo gender role reversal. These two subchapters of the main chapter The Multiplicity of Sensuality in Pleasure in Dracula reveal how Harker is feminised and Lucy adopts masculine nature in the novel. The two roles reveal subverted traditional Gothic features to represent the feminist reading of the two novels (Stoker, 1997). Chapter Four Autonomy and Transformation in Interview with the Vampire looks specifically at the ways in which the characters, Claudia and Louis are

5 transformed in their genders. This chapter also analyses how the character of Louis is becomes autonomic (Rice, 1976). Finally the last section presents a brief conclusion of the dissertation, highlighting the findings of the research and ties the loose ends without adding any new information in the study. This dissertation can be considered worthy of study because it analyses the feminist perspective of women in two novels produced on the cusp of the new eras. Some of the most important questions, which will be considered during the analysis of literature under the analytic approach of literary criticism, are as follows: 1. What is the effect of gender on Dracula and Interview with the Vampire

and its impact on the writer and potential influence on the reader? 2. Have females in the books been portrayed as individuals or as

stereotypes? 3. What consideration has been given to the females point of view in the

novels? 4. What is the effect of the authors gender on the characterisation of

females in the novels? Literature Review: There has always been a certain wariness associated with vampires due to the fear that their otherness might prove infectious to humans (Williamson 2005:1). Williamson also elaborates that in spite of this wariness, vampires have become

6 fascinating rather than being terrifying. This review of literature takes a look at the way gender has been represented in vampires in Dracula and Interview with the Vampire. A few sources have been referred to in order to review the way gender was portrayed in Dracula in the Victorian English setting. The next set of sources has been used to study the relationship between gender reflection and societal characteristics prevalent in these novels. The sexual characteristics that form prominent parts of vampire novels have also been taken into consideration along with homosexuality in vampirism and its connection with AIDS. The changes in vampire genders and the progression of vampires through the ages have also been studied in the following sources, in order to highlight the cultural and social aspects. Dracula is considered as the ultimate tale from which the popularity and transformation of vampires originated. The roles of women have been culturally defined in Dracula in a highly flexible manner and the vampires gender is represented as poly-sexual. This is the portrayal of vampirism in the eighteenth century in Victorian England (Stoker, 1897). As compared to this portrayal of the Victorian society and that eras vampires, there has been significant transformation of the vampire in Ann Rices Interview with the Vampire. This has become possible through the transformation of the vampires genders to homosexuality and through the introduction of glamour in association with vampires (Rice, 1976). In Dracula, there is a clear representation of the way gender ideals were perceived in the Victorian English society. Under these characteristics, one can

7 find a clear separation and distinction between genders because of their personal traits (Tacon 2005:214). The male members of this society were known by qualities like creator, doer, forceful and defender, while the females were considered as virginal, sweet and passive creatures. As a result of these clear gender role distinctions, all the females and males in Dracula have been defined under these characteristics. However, any other aspects that could not fit under either of these roles have not been defined as male or female. This represents that in the Victorian English society, there was a clear anxiety over discussing aspects like female sexuality and homosexuality, which reflects in Dracula. It is the Victorian anxiety from directly referring to gender inversion that leads to the use of symbolism (Craft 1984). In Dracula, Dracula has three women confined in his castle and these women are capable of penetrating another using their elongated teeth. This represents gender inversion and is Stokers way of masculanising these women vampires. In Dracula, the normal women are innocent, proper and passive while the female vampires are sexually more open and forward. This is how the act of lovemaking has been identified with blood feeding (Tacon 2005: 216). In Dracula, there are subtle indications of numerous heterosexual and potentially homosexual relationships. For the vampire count, the ultimate way to behave violently towards a woman is through vampirization. In terms of gender relationships, Mina has a love marriage with Jonathan while she has a bloodbased marriage with Dracula. As a result, her child is a by product of Dracula and Jonathans mutual love for Mina and the child has Draculas blood in its veins

8 (Schaffer 1994). Two major themes that can be spotted in Dracula are that there are no vampires other than Dracula mentioned in the text and that the female vampires in this novel do not reproduce. The Transylvanian vampire carries out the transformation of only female vampires. Considering that male vampires transforming males into vampires, indicates homosexuality, this theme represents the Victorian culture that was gender-anxious at the time (Doane and Hodges 1990). There is a potential likeness between prostitutes and female vampires in Dracula. The theme of pre-nuptial pregnancy is also evident in the way prostitutes have been portrayed along with the vampiresses sucking blood from infants. The fact that both female vampires and prostitutes get out into the night makes them somewhat similar (Mason 1994). There are numerous similarities that have been drawn between Lucy and female vampires due to their appearance and behaviours. Both have dark appearances, which is taken as an indication of sexuality. The seductive qualities along with the attachment disorders female vampires portray make them similar to prostitutes. This gives the sign of female vampires being Victorian prostitutes. This term can be used because the female vampire defies all the female gender roles and behaviours of the Victorian female because of their defective morals (Tacon 2005). Through Dracula and various other vampire novels, numerous forms of sexual and social behaviour of humans have been highlighted. Through the use of vampires characters, writers got the opportunity to express societys various secrets and fears in the form of a social commentary (Benefiel . 2004: 262). While other literature related to vampires emphasised vampire hunters, Interview

9 with the Vampire painted vampires in a new light, in which the focus was on the vampires rather than the hunters. One can also find clear cues related to homosexuality. While the gender roles and code was stricter in Dracula, these codes blurred significantly in Interview with the Vampire. This novel also introduced the idea of the vampire family, in which a vampire was portrayed as a normal human being with regards to multiple family relations and roles. An example of this is in Lestat who plays the role of the mother as well as the father and the husband. The role of the biological mother is not observed in Interview with the Vampire because of the male vampires ability to create other beings of its kind (Rice 1976). Stoker lent the vampires the characteristic of immortality and Rice portrayed them in a maternal as well as homosexual light. Through Rices Interview with the Vampire, the vampires overcome the gender codes and the norms of sexuality and they lie with females as well as males. By looking at Dracula and the portrayal of vampires in it, one can sense the sexual fears and aversion to sexual inversion. Contrary to the Victorian vampire, one can see the modern vampire portrayed as a homosexual with the sexual freedom to lie with men or women. Another evident aspect prevalent in Interview with the Vampire is the basis of the story on the vampires instead of the vampire hunters (Benefiel . 2004). In the Interview with the Vampire, social and cultural confusion is also clear, which is evident through the family deterioration, which occurs due to Lestats defiance. While there are signs of Lestat being gay, he also represents a healthy alternative to AIDS, which is caused due to transfer of bodily fluids. This leads to

10 potential cultural confusion because young fictional heroes are supposed to be strong and are expected to defy convention. However, in this case, there is defiance of family and moral values. These are aspects that clearly show the degree of cultural confusion prevalent in Interview with the Vampire, in which the vampire underwent a sexual revolution (Haggerty 2006). All these instances present examples of the way the Victorian vampire has been presented in a different light when compared with the modern vampire, outlined in Rices Interview with the Vampire. As compared to the Victorian anxiety observable in Dracula, there is a transformation in gender fluidity in Rices Interview with the Vampire, in which vampires have been presented as glamorous and the element of homosexuality has been introduced. The following set of sources presents instances of the way gender roles are portrayed in modern vampire novels. Nakagawa (2011) discusses the combination of gothic fiction and romance in vampire fantasy novels like Twilight Saga in which a male vampire falls in love with a human female. This is a significant transformation of the vampire from the Victorian era to the modern such that the gender roles as well as power relations of vampires have changed. For these male vampires, portrayed in works like Southern Vampire Mysteries and Twilight Saga, Harris (2001) and Meyer (2007) have introduced a new breed of male vampires, which does not drink blood from humans. These are safe vampire heroes, who are in romantic relationships with human females. According to Nakagawa, this is the representation of a reduced perception of danger on part of the modern woman. In addition, it also represents an increased

11 danger in terms of personal boundaries. While both these novels have completely different developments, the recurring theme of romantic relationship with a vampire and sexuality is similar. As opposed to the contemporary vampire in the modern novels, the presentation of vampires in Dracula has been the most influential, in which the vampire has been presented as the dark hero in accordance with the folklore. Through the use of sexual overtones, the image of the vampire has been softened relatively in contemporary novels. In Stokers novel, there are homosexual desires between Jonathan Harker and Count Dracula, but these desires have been portrayed as less intense through the introduction of female vampire characters (Craft 1984). In contemporary as well as Victorian vampire novels, the vampires characters are created to make them erotically alluring so that vampires hold a paradoxical fascination. In spite of this, there is repulsion to the sexual act, which is also desirable for the males and females because of the element of danger (Nakagawa 2011). In Dracula, the vampire is an influential dark character that is violent and the homosexual tendencies of the vampires have not been defined in clear terms because of the socio cultural characteristics of the Victorian Era. Opposed to this, the vampires character has undergone a significant transformation over the centuries. In Twilight, one can find a degree of domestication of the vampire. This particular theme can be found combining with other themes like masculinity, sexuality and family. In Twilight, the vampires have families and arrangements of their own along with blood relations. In addition to domestication, another prominent theme is the socialization of the vampires. With the domestic relations,

12 the gender roles of the vampires have also undergone a significant change with the nature of sexuality experiencing a change because the channeling of sexuality represents a form of domestication (Nayar 2010). There are multiple recurrent gender relations along with a degree of gender violence in vampire novels, especially the Twilight series. This becomes evident through various visual and verbal codes that are present in the text of the novels. In the Twilight series, the most prominent themes that emerge is that violence has become a major aspect in the portrayal of masculinity, male violence is considered a prominent element in heterosexual relationships, there exists a dualism in the representation of male genders with the bad boys allowing their violent tendencies to remain unchecked. Another major element is related to boys assertion when it comes to control. As a result of these tendencies, generally the girls in vampire novels are expected to compliant regarding violence and the male vampires are violent (Durhan 2011). Using vampires as characters in novels is a significant way of discussing forbidden desires in narratives. While heterosexuality has been clearly discussed in Dracula, one can clearly see that homosexuality is not an openly discussed area and is considered problematic for the moral sentiment, which was prevalent in the Victorian era. While the heterosexual relationships and violence of sexual relationships has been discussed openly, various metaphors have been used for representing homosexuality. In the Victorian era and Dracula, the gender fluidity is rigid because gender roles of vampires are clearly defined and distinguished from each other. In other novels that narrate vampire stories, the gender fluidity

13 is less rigid and sexual inferences have been drawn more openly due to increased openness of the society. The way vampire genders and their behaviours are portrayed shows the openness of the society in terms of the acceptable norms and gender relations. Research Methodology Title: This research is titled, A Feminist Reading of the Fluidity of Gender Roles and the ramifications of this in Bram Stoker's Dracula (Stoker, 1897) and Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire (Rice, 1976). Rationale of the study The rationale behind this research is to perform an analysis of the novels Dracula and Interview with the Vampire from a feminist point of view. In this research, the feminist perspective of the writers of these novels will be taken into consideration. In addition, a criticism of these works of literature will be performed on the basis of the messages that the novels convey regarding the female characters. Aims & Objectives Some of the most prominent aims and objectives of this research are as follows: 1. To apply a literary criticism approach while performing a feminist oriented reading of Dracula and Interview with the Vampire. 2. To approach works of literature with a feminist perspective and distinguish between terms like feminist, feminine and feminism.

14 3. To outline the examples of feminism in the novels Dracula and Interview with the Vampire. 4. To differentiate between the various terms and perspectives, which form part and parcel of the feminist area of the study 5. To become familiar with the multiple terminologies, which prominent theorists in the subject of feminism have used in the course of research. Subject under study In this research, the main area under study is a feminist reading of the novels Dracula (Stoker, 1897) and Interview with the Vampire (Rice, 1976). The main area under study in this research will be the way Dracula and Interview with the Vampire incorporate the theme of feminism. This will also include a study of the female characters in these novels. In Dracula, one can find the perspective of the Victorian society towards women (Domnguez-Ru, 2010; Demetrakopoulos, 1977). The aim is to take a feminist view of the way women were viewed in the Victorian era. In the hidden message that reflects themes like redemption and Christianity, one can find a hidden message of female sexuality in the book (Miller, 2006; ODonnell, 2000). This theme will also be explored in this research by looking at the reflection of female sexuality in a Gothic manner. This applies especially to the novel Dracula. The gender roles reflected in Dracula are considerably narrow and this research will also focus on studying these roles in detail using the feminist literary theory. In Dracula, one can observe that the gender roles have been represented as narrow, which will be critically examined in this research, along with the potential implications of such a representation (Spencer, 1992; Craft, 1984).

15 In Ann Rices Interview with the Vampire, one can think of the representation of the females in terms of a feminine journey (Krchy and Antoni, 2012; Plumb, 1998). This is where a study of the difference between terminologies of feminist, feminine and feminism will prove to be useful. In light of Ann Rices vampirology, there will be an indepth analysis of the feminist touches evident in this novel. The reflection of women as vampires and their sensuality will be studied and analysed in detail. The philosophy under which Ann Rice focuses on the bodies of female vampires is also an interesting aspect that will be critically examined through this research. Methods of Research For conducting this research, the novels Dracula (Stoker, 1897) and Interview with the Vampire (Rice, 1976) will be used as the main sources. After going through these novels, various feminist theories will be applied. For gaining familiarity with the various feminist theories and experts of feminist literary theory, various secondary sources will be used for reviewing literature. Literary Criticism Approach This is the approach, which will be used for critically analysing the novels. The basic objective behind the use of this approach is to analyse the way literature relates to society and how the contents of literature put the genders into perspective. The core purpose for using this approach is to take into account the way feminine characters have been represented in literary works like Dracula and Interview with the Vampire. With this approach, it will be possible to analyse the way women have been represented in literature. It is also important to consider the tone that the writer adopts in order to

16 represent various female characters in the novels and the way the society perceives the role of women in the particular context of the novels, which will be done through this approach. In light of the adopted methodology, this research will evaluate the novels in terms of the implications of the way the characters of women have been portrayed in the novels. Some of the most important questions, which will be considered during the analysis of literature under this approach, are as follows: 1. What is the effect of gender on the Dracula and Interview with the Vampire and its impact on the writer and potential influence on the reader? 2. Have females in the books been portrayed as individuals or as stereotypes? 3. What consideration has been given to the females point of view in the novels? 4. What is the effect of the authors gender on the characterisation of females in the novels? Under this method of conducting literary research, the first step would be identifying the novels female characters. Under the feminist literary criticism approach, the female characters drawn in Dracula and Interview with the Vampire will be analysed from the perspective that the characters have been created from a male perspective (Nubaumer, 2010). This represents that the female characters in the novels have been reflected in terms of objects from the perspective of males, such that the characters identify with the image that males have, regarding females. An important purpose of employing this method of research is to perform a re-evaluation of these literary works from the point of view of the present world. With the feminist literary criticism approach, the aim is to challenge the universal assumptions of the society about females and to value the experiences of the female members of society.

17 When it comes to the Literary Criticism Approach, Elaine Showalter is a famous theorist. Her works will be referred to for studying the different stages in which womens literature can be categorised. This will also help in distinguishing between terms like feminine, female and feminist. In terms of applying the feminist literary criticism approach, various works of Showalter will also be studied and the relevant theories will be used for applying to the analysis of Dracula and Interview with the Vampire in terms of fluidity of gender roles. Sources Secondary Sources: For reviewing the literature, various handbooks, journal articles and research papers will be explored for theories and approaches related to feminist literary criticism. Tertiary Sources: Among these sources are bibliographies and indexes in addition to search engines on the Internet. In case of Dracula, the most important aspect is that the author, Stoker, is well familiar with the feminist movement that was taking place during the Victorian Era. While he was in support of holding men and women equal from an intellectual point of view, his work did not hold men and women equal in terms of sexuality. This is an issue that will be studied in detail in this research, using a feminist literary approach throughout the analysis. The potential reasons for his reflection of the female characters in Dracula will be taken into account along with the implications of the image he creates of female characters in Dracula. Other popular theorists whose works will be used for analysing the pieces of literature under consideration include Susan Gubar and Sandra Gilbert.

18 Showalter (1981) and Showalter and Bront (1977), along with Gilbert and Gubar, (1979), analyses the nature of genres and themes written by female authors and how these themes and female characters change in literature, which is written by a male author. By taking into consideration the theories of all these authors, the feminist movement will be studied in terms of the female characterisation performed in Dracula and Interview with the Vampire. Limitations The prominent approach used for conducting this research and analysing the literary works is the feminist literary criticism method, which comes with certain limitations. In the analysis of literature using the feminist literary criticism approach, a major limitation is the masculine bias. It is important to distinguish feminine viewpoint and the norms that male writers create, which lead to stereotypes in female characters. Another potential limitation in this research is related to setting a limit regarding the way the underlying assumptions are questioned. When questioning the inferiority of female characters in a work of literature, it is important not to deviate so that the arguments make sense and remain rational from a feminist literary perspective. In order to make this research a balanced and rational one, an effort will be made to offer explanation of the stance that is adopted for various characters in the literary works. In order to achieve this, specificity will be a priority in this research. Various instances from literature will be taken and then they will be analysed, highlighting the issues that exist from the feminist literary criticism perspective. Through this step, the research will make greater sense and it will appeal from a rational point of view and will be easier to

19 understand. This will also overcome the risk of feminist deviation, which is a major limitation in literature research. Conclusion This research is aimed at analysing Stokers Dracula and Ann Rices Interview in light of the feminist literary critical approach. Through this approach, these novels will be analysed in terms of the feminine characters and the way they have been portrayed. Another aspect of the research is looking at the potential reasons due to which female characterisation has been done in a certain manner and discussing the implications of this characterisation. Looking at the portrayal of female characters in the novels in an important aspect, which will be done in light of the works of various feminist theorists.

Discussion Chapter One: The Multiplicity of Sensuality in Pleasure in Dracula

In his novel Dracula, Stoker uses contemporary fears regarding social and racial degeneration by portraying men becoming feminised and passive, while bitten women adapt to less wholesome passions than motherhood or marriage. A constant traversing of sexual boundaries takes place as Dracula chases both men and women. This Gothic fantasy novel was written at the time when effects of womens demands for equality in education, right to vote and employment were unyielding. These reversed gender roles by Bram Stoker have been picked up on both implicitly and explicitly. The women bitten by Dracula desire sexual wantonness and are converted from pure Victorian women into seductive, assertive and sexually-motivated women. On the other hand, it transforms strong

20 and powerful men into weak, helpless feminised forms. This chapter discusses two main characters in Brom Stokers novel Dracula (1897): Jonathan Harker and Lucy while they undergo gender doubling.

The "Feminised" Jonathon Harker and its ramifications:

With its distinguishable style of doubling, gothic literature unites and clashes the one with the other. Dracula (1897) offers several instances of conflicts between gender roles and power dynamics in forms of sexuality, suggesting the idea that these in fact are vulnerable to changes.

The novel, Dracula begins with the depiction of Jonathan Harker as a masculine and whole man, but as the story unrolls he moves further from the imperial centre and loses his assurance of supremacy and subjective equanimity. Harker begins his part in the story fully human and imperially pure, however, this inflexibly controlled homo-social bond soon breaks as he enters the imaginative whirlpool and experiences the breakdown of order. Finally the strong male protagonist seeks refuge in feminine passivity and doubtful maternal protection (SpitzerHanks, 2010). From the following scene, the gender shift of Harker is evident: there was something about them that mae me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some fear. I felt in my heart a wicked, burning desire that they should kiss me with those red lips (Stoker, 1897: p.37).In these words, not only does Harker

21 admit his male desire but also something that was expected to be repulsed in terms of the Victorian era: the sexualised nature of the women. In Victorian terms, not only is this sexualisation of the women indecent but it is them whore showing the dominance and are initiating the attack on a male. Harker in this situation is feminised- Kiss me with those lips indicates that he wants to lie prostrate and vulnerable while the woman conduct the action. IN the following lines, Harker says I closed my eyes in languorous ecstasy and waited (Stoker, 1897: 38). This kind of a dialogue would have seemed acceptable if a heroine had narrated it and completely unexpected from a Victorian hero. Nonetheless, in these lines Stoker (1897) attenuated the sexual prowess of a man and depleted the masculinity of the male protagonist and feminised him (Ledger, 1997: 102). As the vampire women approach Jonathans throat, his terror is mixed with desire. He does not pretend to sleep, but he does not try to escape either. The scene is a reversed rape: this time, it is a passive and weak male who is being attacked by a female aggressor. (Pektas, 2005:13-14) This scene ends when Dracula, plunges in a fury, into the room and with this Harker faints. Dracula carries him to bed and claims This man belongs to me! (46) The scene of fainting and being carried in the arms of a man whose touch makes him shudder, Stoker signals that Harker has lost his masculinity an has been feminised (Kristeva and Roudiez, 1982: 2). Upon the Counts assertion over Harkers body at first seemed to highlight the danger Harker was getting into but later it is discovered that not only will he not

22 be vamped by The Sisters, but that he wants to be vamped by Dracula. This indicates a total loss of normative masculinity in the male protagonist of the story. At once, he is feminised, un-manned and inverted and cannot keep up his defences. Thus, allowing abjection to take over him in the shape of vampiric desire and even looks forward to it. This is considered as a diabolical perversion of masculinity that turns Harker feminine (Spitzer-Hanks, 2010: 45). Another scene that indicates Jonathan Harkers femininity is when on one morning, he is surprised to hear Dracula speak without seeing him in his shaving mirror. This surprise makes him cut himself while he was shaving. To his utmost surprise, Harker wrote [w]hen the Count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat, and resumes his usual demeanour as soon as he comes across the crucifix on Harkers chest. The abject selfhood of Dracula becomes completely unavoidable at this stage, but Harker retreats into retrospect, ignoring the Counts attack. This comes as a surprise to the reader, because usually Jonathan is wary of the social norms, however if seen through abjection lens, his actions indicate a technique of identity based on repudiation. This means that Harker relies on erasing the thought or memory of the attempted assault by the Count. This again, is a feminine approach towards the scene. Jonathan Harker has been portrayed noticeably inferior and helpless against the Count: I knew that to struggle at the moment against the Count was useless [...]. Shut the door; I shall wait till morning! (Stoker, 1897: 43). Keeping this in viewpoint, Tanya Gardiner-Scott deduces that as a prisoner, Harker is feminised

23 while [t]he vaults of Draculas architectural emblem of masculine power and female mystery are in a direct line of descent from those of Lewiss convents (Gardiner-Scott, 1997: 51). Dracula has to make a lot of effort to refrain from penetrating Harkers body. According to Craft: Draculas ungratified desire to vamp Harker is fulfilled instead by his three vampire daughters [who] offer Harker a feminine form but a masculine penetration (Craft, 1984: 110). Sexuality and shift in dominance suggests that sexual practices can be challenged. Indeed, the zenith of Draculas power can arguably be seen in his ability to catalyze the awesome changes potential in womanhood, in those modest personifications of divine and human truth (Auerbach, 1981: 28). Thus one can conclude that through gender and sexuality shift in Dracula, one can estimate the instability of the supposedly fixed hierarchies that were prevalent in the Victorian age. Gregory A. Waller, while commenting on Dracula, states that it does not come as a surprise that the novel has a masculine ideal, which is self-controlled and independent and strong. A Feminised helplessness on the other hand is an outcome of manhoods breakdown, which takes place when Jonathan comes across The Sisters (Miller, 1998). Building on the thesis presented by Waller, Miller states that this scene represents masculine vulnerability, making it appear feminine and the satire is that the rescuer of Jonathan Harker is the only other man available in the vicinity (Dracula, 1897: 229-30). The themes of sexuality, class identity and gender roles doubling seem strong. Thus not only Brom Stoker makes Harker suffer as a consequence of his feminine passivity but also shows

24 the Victoiran patriarchal society that the male dominance and inflexible Victorian order may be subjected to change.

Lucy: A Dagger Through The Heart of Female Passion and Its Ramifications:
In Dracula it is evident that the theme of female sexuality has largely been discussed, while in the Victorian culture, women were suppressed. There are several events and scenes where it is evident how grudgingly men judge the reputation of women and leaves very little room for superstition. Lucy was subjected to this very factor. In one case, when one of Lucys suitor, Holmwood denies that Lucy is not without maternal nature until he finds out about the deeds of the famous Bloofer Lady. Women usually experienced very narrow gender roles, in the Victorian era and essentially could adopt one of these two paths: she could either be a virginal pure woman (or a mother/wife); if this path was not adopted then she would be a whore, and expendable. The two main female characters: Mina and Lucy, in Dracula present this ideal of women. Although the latter character, Lucy, is inexplicably close to the Victorian ideal (pure, and dependent on the men around her) she had three suitors, which indicated her desire to break the social norms and her subtle promiscuity (Stoker, 1897). Dracula poses the threat to transform Lucy, which becomes a war of her sexuality. This shows that the real fear at the time was not darkness and the life threat she was in but the loss of her feminine innocence, which is a trait extremely significant to men. If Dracula succeeded in transforming Lucy into a

25 vampire, this would unleash her sexuality. This sexual liberation is like an evil in the novel because this indicates that the woman has embraced power. The concept introduced in Dracula is that if women were sexual, men would have to worry about their own safety. This reveals a rather selfish aspect of Victorian men, who suppressed their womens sexuality so that they would not be considered related to outcast women in the society. Even before trnasofrming into a vampire, Lucy exhibited traits of boastful flirtatiousness and subtle sexuality: Why cant they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all the trouble? But this is heresy and I must not say it [Stoker, 1897: 62) This suggests that Lucy has a secret desire to break free from the constraints of the Victorian society. An event that indicates that Lucy is a subordinate sexual woman is when she said : Why are men so noble when we women are so little worthy of them? (Stoker, 1897: 92) This line portrays Lucy as a perky Victorian woman who not only wants to be satisfied by men but also satisfy them. Once transformed into a Vampire, Lucys sexuality is freed. Much t o the horror of her suitors, her lust for sex and blood seems insatiable. Even before death, Lucy was a woman of sexual expression and after transformation, her lust unleashed. This is confirmed when the reader finds out that Lucy feeds on children, making it clear that she lacked any sort of maternal feelings.

26 With a careless motion, she flung to the ground the child that up to now she had clutched strenuously to her breast, growling over it as a dog growls over a bone. The child gave a sharp cry, and lay there moaning (Stoker 1897: 337) Analyzing Lucys character on the brink of death, it is evident that she is fighting an inner demon with her purity. Where she wants Holmwood Arthur! Oh, my love, I am so glad you have come! Kiss me! (Stoker, 1897: 256) she also pleas to Van Helsing: Oh, guard him, and give me peace! (Stoker, 1897: 175). This analogy seems to warn the female population of the Victorian Society about its black and white boundaries. There is a deep sexual meaning connotated in this scene that occurs near the end of the book, suggesting that by killing Lucy, she would be punished for being sexually open and the Victorian order would be restored. One can conclude that after the episode of feminising Harker with three women, Brom Stoker tops that by killing Lucy with four men. She is staked by her fianc, Arthur Holmwood, which implies that Holmwood has put Lucy back into a position passivity. in the coffin lay no longer the foul Thing her destruction was yielded as a privilege to the one best entitled to it her face of unequalled sweetness and purity [Stoker, 1897: 346 Before death struck her, Lucy posed a threat to the male dominance, therefore, Stoker makes four men destroy her to reassure that women have been placed back in their rightful place. Thus one can conclude that Lucy is killed because of

27 her gender subversion and expressed female passion hence 'dagger though the heart of female passion'.

Discussion Chapter Two: Autonomy and Transformation in Interview with the Vampire
Interview with the Vampire is a graphic novel written in 1976 by Anne Rice. The whole story is told through Louiss POV, who is the main character of the novel and seems to be on a journey of feminism. Initially the character of Louis is described as dependent on his strong, masculine partner and later on with the assistance of Claudia, who serves as a catalyst who provokes him to defy the norms, Louis moves on to independence and autonomy. This chapter is further divided into two subchapters: Claudia- A Woman Trapped in a Childs Body and Louiss Feminine Journey and its Ramifications.

Claudia 'A Woman Trapped in a Child's Body':

As mentioned in the introduction, Elaine Showalter has divided womens literature in three stages in her work Toward a Feminist Poetics,: Feminine, Feminist, and Female. The first phases women imitated the men. In the next phase the accommodating nature of women was suppressed and taken over by the aggressive feminist, rejecting masculine ideas and norms. In the final stage, the Female, women are no longer concerned with imitation or rejection, and are in no way dependent on their male counterparts (Showalter, 1979). A reflection of this feminine journey by Showalter is evident in Louiss character.

28 When Claudia is born, a decidedly feminist turn takes over the novel. Considered an allegorical figure by Nina Auerbach (Auerbach, 2012). Claudia serves as a catalyst or stimulator who takes Louis into the third stage of feminism (Showalters three stages of feminism; Auerbach, 1982, p.1; Showalter, 1979). She incites Louis to stand up against Lestat. By doing so, she demonstrates a larger disruptive womans persona which is partially demonic and serves as the root of feminism. By striking out at Lestat, Claudia breaks down the normative patriarchy in which she was initially imprisoned by becoming the lover of Louis, where she was previously his daughter (Auerbach, 1982, p. 154). Lestats apparent death and Louis and Claudias travel to the Old World define the end of the feminine stage and the initiation into the feminist stage.

Though Louis is ready to enter the final Female stage however, in order to enter it he must let go of his Feminist stage since that indicates a hint of dependence and the last stage empowers one with independence. In other words, Louis must let go of Claudia in order for Louis to reach the final destination of his feminism journey. At first it appears that the relationship of Louis and Claudia is so strong that only death can separate them, thus Claudia has to die in order for Louis to move on towards autonomy (Rice, 1976, p.218). To enter the last stage, primarily dominated by acceptance, Louis must travel with Armand and let go of his past dependencies. After Claudias death, although Louis accepts Armands invitation to travel, Louis is still reliant on his partner, Armand and only on his eventual separation from Armand does he fully achieve the Female stage. At this stage one can conclude that Louis has become autonomous. In the story, Claudia

29 seemed to have played a pivotal role in enabling Louis to become autonomous and independent. This is confirmed at the end of the story, when Louis rejects the offer of Lestat, thus establishing autonomy. At this stage it is evident that Louis does not need to rely on Lestats oppressive and dominant nature or Claudias paramour relationship. Claudia is a unique character in the sense that she is a 100 year old woman trapped in the body of a 12 year old girl and it is her very desire to "grow up" that leads to a tragic end.

Instead of having the choice to turn away from her mother, Claudia is exposed to a pure male world and is compelled to recognise that the world is defined by males. Claudia has no woman to provide her with maternal support. Since, Claudia will stay the same age for the rest of her life, her onset of menses does not define her maturity, which is the usual defining characteristic of womanhood but instead her she remains physically immature forever. According to Doane Freud depicts oedipal development in the girl as leading to a rejection of the mother and embrace of the father; Rice sees the oedipal moment as beginning with the fathers embrace of the girl child in a patriarchal order that so restricts her possibilities for development.she develops murderous rages against her father. Freud calls the oedipal stage a haven, a refuge for the girl; Rice shows it to be a coffin (Doane and Hodges, 1990; p.425). To this end Irigaray added We live in a society of men-amongst-themselves that operates according to an exclusive respect for the ancestry of sons and fathers, and of competition between brothers. And so our societies have subsumed womens ancestry under

30 mens. Daughters are physically and culturally separated from their mothers in order to enter male families or male institutions (Irigaray, 2001; p.7).

If in case Rices views were in accordance with the ones mentioned above (Doane and Irigaray) then in the novel Interview with the Vampire, she has managed to show paternity as a restriction towards a girls development as a child, which reveals the sexual oppression women are exposed to in the bigger picture. Since Claudia has been imprisoned in a childs body, she would never know the pleasures of sexual mating, pregnancy or the bodily rewards of being a woman, over or a mother. Her two fathers made her a monster, who cannot express her desires because of her physical immaturity. Unlike the women in Dracula, who blandly expressed their sexuality, Claudia does not have a sexual identity and neither would she ever be able to recognise and acknowledge her mother since she had a makeshift into a male family.

If Claudia had remain alive and not transformed into a vampire, she would have had some value in her life, some control over her body regardless of it being culturally unacceptable but as a vampire, she is forever stuck at the hands of others. Rice perhaps is trying to demonstrate with the help of the character of Claudia that gender roles are fixed and that nothing can change the innate masculine or feminine nature of the genders (Aust, 2005). Claudias female sexuality was stunted even before she could enter her womanhood, thus Claudia

31 was not only the victim of lost sexual pleasure, but also had no maternal support as well as the authority to make decisions for herself (Aust, 2005).

Louis's Feminine Journey and its ramifications:

In the novel, Interview with the Vampire, Louis gradually progresses from the character of a subservient feminine acquiescence to the female autonomy (Showalter, 1979). Louis opens his eyes as a vampire and sees the world in a new light. Sounds rush through his ears like a fluid. According to Patricia Waugh in her essay Stalemates: Feminists, Postmodernists and Unfinished Issues in Modern Aesthetics, a fluid manner of the environment and oneself defines the female subjectivity (Waugh, 1992). From this perspective, female existence does not have well defined barriers and boundaries often overlap in favour of intersubjectivity, which the male mindset finds chaotic (Waugh, 1992, p.337).

These new senses of Louis give an insight into the female mind, when for instance Louis develops a new attitude towards his sister and says that only after being opened to this side of life did he truly get to know his sister. This is because of the openness he recently adopts in his communications. He also becomes a good listener, which is best seen when he interacts with Armand:

I was at a loss suddenly; but conscious all the while of how Armand listened; that he listened and listened in the way that we dream of others listening, his face seeming to reflect on everything said. He did not start forward to seize on my slightest pause, to assert an understanding of something before the thought was

32 finished, or to argue with a swift, irresistible impulse the things which make dialogue impossible (Rice, 1976, pp.281-282).

This passive communication skill further associates him with femininity. In his awe of being brought to existence by Lestat and his masculine, dominant nature, Louis tries to emulate Lestat but unfortunately fails and this failure marks Louiss feminine stage as depicted by Showalter.

In terms of sexual pleasure, Luce Irigaray says women are more diverse than men. This means that where men only find pleasure in phallic activity, women rejoice in sexual pleasure just about everywhere on their bodies. (Irigaray, 1985, pp. 101-102).

Using the abovementioned perspective of Irigaray as a basis, another dichotomy in the masculine/feminine relationship of Lestat and Louis is evident. Where Lestat finds pleasure on only one activity the kill, Louis has several factors and elements that bring him joy. In vampirology feeding, is an act equated with sexual experience and thus to kill is an equation of love making. For vampires, physical love culminates and is satisfied in only one thing, the kill. (Rice, 1976, p.254) Lestat finds killing pleasurable, I like to do itI enjoy it. (Rice, 1976, p.84)

However, Louis has several outlets of pleasure including sounds, sights, relationships, communication and humanly characteristics of the vampires. When Louis becomes a vampire, he feels that everything around him has changed. In a deeper context the change he talks about can be regarded as his journey from

33 one feminine stage to another. His sight for instance makes him love beautiful scenes for instance looking at the moon for several hours indicates his passion for visual love (Rice, 1976, p.21). Likewise when talking to the boy, Louis savours the thought of tactile pleasures of vampirism. When the boy asks him if he is capable of passing through a keyhole, Louis expresses his desire to be able to do that I wish I couldHow positively delightful. I should like to pass through all manner of different keyholes and feel the tickle of their peculiar shape (Rice, 1976, p.23). Another pleasure source for Louis is sound, for example when he expresses his liking for Lestats laughter and referring to it as peals of bells (Rice, 1976, p.21). This does not mean, however that Louis does not gain pleasure from the kill, on the opposite, it too becomes the optimal source of pleasure for him, like any other vampire. Thus Louis retains the characteristics of both masculine and feminine identities, which points towards his state of uncertainty and mobility from one extreme to the other. When a persons mother becomes a mere individual who brought them in the world, then this stage is regarded as maturity in psychoanalytic theory (Waugh, 1992, p. 336). Applying this theory to Louis first few moments as a vampire, the first person he regards is Lestat, who made him a vampire. Louis sees Lestat through his vampire eyes and says: I saw as a vampireLestat was standing again at the foot of the stairs, and I saw him as I could not have seen him beforenow I saw him filled with his own life

34 and own blood: he was radiant, not luminous. And then I saw that not only had Lestat changed, but all things had changed (Rice, 1976, p.21). In the abovementioned passage, Lestat has a mothers role. He is also the way Louis wants to be like in his strive to be a vampire. The fact that Louis sees Lestats as a mother and not a father reveals that in terms of Rices novel, vampirism consists of matriarchy. The way a mother nurtures her child with her milk, the mother vampire treats her newborn vampire with blood, regarding which Louis said: I drank, sucking the blood out of the holes, experiencing for the first time since infancy the special pleasure of sucking nourishment(Rice, 1976, p.20). Finally when Louis is ready to gain independence from his mother Lestat, he has become mature (psychoanalytic theory) and rejects Lestats offer to return to him and help him regain his old status. This refusal by Louis was the biggest test of his newly acquired independence, in which he emerges autonomous.

Conclusion:
The feminist readings of the two novels Dracula (Stoker, 1997) and Interview with the Vampire (Rice, 1976) led to the conclusion that feminism is like a journey that men and women regardless of their genders go through. From the feminisation of Jonathan Harker to the attainment of autonomy by Louis, all the main characters of these two novels seem to be at one stage or the other of this journey, some even going backwards (Harker, in Dracula). From the text of the novel Interview with the Vampire, based on the allegorical feminine journey of Louis, we see that

35 Showalter has been right to regard feminism as a formalist system. Showalter attempted to break this phenomenon into three categories on the basis of formalism. Likewise the feminist reading of the text regarding the multiplicity of pleasure and desire on part of both men and women, the emphasis of feminism on the relation of the body with social norms in the novels respective eras is revealed. Finally, the feminist reading of the two stories in terms of patriarchy or matriarchy reveal a psychoanalytic concept hidden within the evident feminism. In both the novels an effort on part of feminism is seen to break out of the dominating patriarchy in favour of establishing a female system (as the final stage of Showalters feminism journey). The most crucial factor to be considered here is that feminism is not a procedure that can be minimised to one idea; it is on the contrary, a system of fluidity and multiplicity like the female subjectivity. The bottom line regarding feminism would be that it is a subject with blurred and undefined boundaries between its various sub-divisions. The ideals about gender roles popular at the time of Victorian era are directly represented in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. In this era, there was a strict distincition between the gender roles of men and women (Tacon, 2005, p.214).The men of the Victorian era were supposed to be sexualized, forceful and in the words of Craft (1984, p.108) he is the doer, the creator, the defender; his energy is for conquest." The women on the other hand were supposed to be passive, sweet and innocent in addition to being "enduringly, incorruptibly good and infallibly wise with passionate gentleness; she has to have the modesty of service" (Craft, 1984, p.109). Craft further elaborates that the vampires in

36 Dracula and Interview with the Vampire have an edge of anxiety over the gender inversion concepts and the potential fluidity of feminism originating from the Victorian eras ideals (1984, p.112). If there was anything not strictly adherent to the rigidly defined gender roles of male and female then it was rejected by the society of the time. In the Victorian age the breakdown of the rigidly upheld norms was feared the most. The two novels negotiated between the strict social norms regarding genders and the sexual mobility that the society tried so hard to constrain (Craft, 1984, p.112). The various aspects of feminism that these novels play off against the Victorian culture included gender role fluidity, homosexuality, female sexuality, incest and child murder. This study largely concentrated on gender inversion, which is demonstrated through male passivity and female dominion. In Dracula, the vampire women in Dracula's castle are masculinised and sexualised and possess "the ability to penetrate another" (Tacon, 2005, p.214). In the story Dracula, Harker finds himself more attracted to the sexualised female vampires trying to penetrate him than his own fiance, Mina. Where the vampires have a sexual openness and active approach, the Victorian women are passive and innocent. Through this, Stoker indicates that at one end Harker "enjoys a feminine passivity and awaits a delicious penetration from a woman" at the other (Tacon, 2005, p.214). According to Craft, it is the male's desire for penetration combined with another desire to lay back and be feminised. In Dracula, the concept of homosexuality comes when The Count states that "this man belongs to me," showing his desire for Harker and the latter also feels the urge to let Draculas dominance consume

37 him (Stoker, 1997). In the other novel, Interview with the Vampire, from the very beginning the relationship of Lestat with Louis and the dependence of the latter on the former show a similar version of homosexuality, where regardless of the gender roles assumed by the society, two men were intimately in a relationship with one another, where one male is dominant while the other is recessive, thus indicating gender inversion. A feature of gothic literature largely evident in the two novels being discussed in this study is the phenomenon of doubling. Here the concept of incest is shown through the perspective of doubling. For example, Dracula initially refers to Mina, as "flesh of my flesh; blood of my blood; kin of my kin" implies that she is his wife but once she is transformed into a vampire, she becomes a "daughterly companion and helper" for Dracula (Stevenson, 1988, p.143). Another example in which an incest in the form of doubling is portrayed is when Anne Rices vampires Louis and Lestat give birth to their daughter Claudia, who later on becomes Louis lover in the Interview with the Vampire. Although this love affair is not physically possible due to the fact that Claudia remains imprisoned in a childs body, intellectually she matures to be Louis lover (Rice, 1976). Benefiel noted that several scholars presented their version of the gothic novels and their social commentaries regarding gender inversions and gender fluidity where the vampire becomes a transgress figure who is free of all the social constraints and in fact is the very portrait of the secret desires and fears of the society (Benefiel, 2004, p.262). The vampire has been shown as an outlet to transform the social fears of people into literature, especially regarding topics

38 such as homosexuality, female sexualisation and exchange of gender roles.IN his book, "Anne Rice and the Queering of Culture," George E. Haggerty gives the viewpoint that Rice's vampires "express our culture's secret desire(s) and secret fear(s) (Haggerty, 1998, p.6). Another role played by these gothic creatures is the fulfilment of the needs of those people in the society who wish to annul and abolish the concepts of homosexuality, incest and gender transformation and want to keep the world straight (Haggerty, 1998). It is through the cynicism of the era that made masculinity unapproachable. This new gruff form of masculinity was demonstrated in the character of Lestat but he also served as the idol of "the castrated male" at the end when Louis rejects him (Rice, 1976). Thus the characterisation of Lestat represents the prevalent hopes in the nineties 18th century that masculinity will survive feminisation (Haggerty, 1998, p.7). To conclude, vampires have been one step ahead of humans in the literature and have been used as a tool by Stoker and Rice to give form to the fears and hidden desires of the Victorian era. Through the gothic literature, the auhors have provided with the reflection of the times they lived in. Dracula and Interview with the Vampire were formed as an outcome of peoples fear of gender inversion and the sexualisation of women. The characters of these novels directly opposed the Victorian ideals of gender roles and the ramification of this was evident in the shift of Britains Victorian era to Modern era. Best demonstrated through gothic literature, it portrays the sexual freedom of homosexuality and the revolutionisation in the female (Auerbach, 2012; Irigaray, 2001).

39

40

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