7: Annotated Bibliography Entry

Senf, Carol A. “‘Dracula”: Stoker’s Response to the New Woman.” Victorian Studies, vol. 26, no. 1, Indiana University Press, 1982, pp. 33–49. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3827492. Accessed 10 February 2021.

This journal article argues that Stoker’s ideal heroine is not a New Woman — expressed through female vampirism as well as his portrayal of Mina Harker in Dracula. The author evaluates the differences between Stoker’s novels and New Woman fiction. The author emphasizes that Stoker’s Dracula expresses the danger of reversing traditional social and sexual roles. I can use this article to support my argument that Stoker utilizes Mina to represent the ideal Victorian woman and utilizes Lucy to illustrate the aggressive as well as dangerously sexual New Woman. The article helps me further analyze the characterizations of Mina and Lucy, specifically how they are direct opposites of each other to fuel Stoker’s response. Additionally, the article allows me to explore the literary aspect of the New Woman movement, such as how other writers have characterized their heroines.