Dracula
by Bram Stoker
Table of Contents
Mina Murray/ Harker
Of the core group of protagonists, Mina has the most distinct voice and personality. The group of men led by Van Helsing on the mission to destroy Dracula all sound more or less like one another, whereas Mina’s voice emerges as more distinct. In many ways, she is the novel’s heroine. According to Van Helsing, she has a “man’s brains” and a “woman’s heart.” In the world of the novel, this means that Mina is not only a model Victorian woman—chaste, honorable, and compassionate—she also has the additional qualities of resourcefulness and logic. Her husband is well aware of this, stating in Chapter 19: “it is due to her energy and brains and foresight that the whole story is put together in such a way that every point tells.”
In contrast to Lucy, Mina is practical and active rather than flirtatious or simply sweet; she is also stronger in resisting Dracula’s curse. Mina’s ability to withstand Dracula’s attacks without transforming into a vampire makes her a remarkable woman indeed. The count is confident that he will cause the destruction of the men through his seduction of the women and, in the case of Lucy, he succeeds. Unlike Lucy—and unlike the Biblical Eve—Mina does not fall into temptation. On the whole, Mina’s devotion to the men in her life reaffirms a Victorian standard of womanhood, but her ability to withstand the count’s Satanic seduction sets her apart from a male-authored tradition of weak women. Through capably resisting Dracula’s efforts to bring about her fall, she redeems not only herself but all of the men, as well. Thus, she is instrumental in preventing Dracula’s assault on all of humankind.
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