LITERATURE QUESTIONS
THE GOTHIC NOVEL
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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That sexual purity was less important than society’s safety
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That female sexuality is dangerous and must be destroyed
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That women are not one-dimensional
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That men consider themselves responsible for their own fates
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Detailed explanation-1: -The three female vampires at the beginning of the novel were outwardly sexualized and seen to be very beautiful but very dangerous women. Stoker displayed their sexuality as a threat through physical descriptions of their physical attributes and the type of mental and emotional trance that they put their victims in.
Detailed explanation-2: -In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the portrayal of evil women is linked closely with feminine sexuality and seduction. Particularly, several variations of the word “voluptuousness” are used to characterize such ladies, effectively condemning womanly sensuality in the age of Stoker.
Detailed explanation-3: -The relation to the new woman and this quote is that while Lucy is turning into a vampire, she becomes overly sexualized. Like other vampires around Dracula, her repressed sexuality is finally noticed, and she becomes the sexual aggressor instead of having men flock to her in attempts to gain her hand in marriage.
Detailed explanation-4: -She attempts to seduce her former fiance, but Van Helsing repels her with a crucifix. The vampire flees into her tomb as the sun rises, allowing Van Helsing and her suitors to open her coffin and drive a wooden stake through her heart, destroying the vampire and allowing Lucy to rest in peace.