The Angel in the House vs. New Women

In the novel, Dracula, there are two main types of women. You have the Angel in the House and the New Women. These types of women are both defined by how traditional they are, and can be placed on opposite ends of the spectrum as seen below.  

The Angel’s are the women who are completely devoted to their husbands and the household. They manage the servants, and do whatever they are told with no backtalk. The type of woman everyone wants in the era of Dracula. As previously stated, The New Woman is the complete opposite. These are the women who act on their own will whenever they please, and refuse to be tied down. In addition to this, they often do jobs or fulfill roles that were typically reserved for men. The main question is now- where do the female characters in Dracula fall on this spectrum?

Let's start with the two main female characters, Mina and Lucy. Mina is originally depicted as an Angel in the House. While she is not married at the beginning of the novel, she is completely and utterly devoted to her fiance Jonathan. Even when he is gone, she awaits is letters and waits by the bedside of her best friend. However, when you take a deeper look at Mina, she may not be the traditional woman she is depicted to be. This change is highlighted primarily through her use of a typewriter. Woah, she writes. Even bigger woah, she TYPES. She is not a man, why would she need to type? This is only the first time Mina takes on the role of a man. Later on, she is seen again acted untraditional by having repeated conversations with Renfield, a patient of Dr. Seward’s. The men in the novel have plenty of conversations with him, but it is different when Mina comes forth to talk to him. This is not her role. We then have the character of Lucy, who supposedly lies at the other end of the spectrum. Lucy is the definition of free-spirited. She allows men to chase after her, and even entertains three proposals in one day (what a crime). However, again, we must ask- is Lucy that much of a new woman? After Lucy accepts a proposal by Arthur Holmwood, she becomes fully devoted to him. She falls ill quickly, but spends the reminder of her time hoping to be by his side and dreaming of their marriage. She never writes, reads, and never even really leaves the house except for the sleep-walking. My point is, she never attempts to break any gender norms of the Victorian Era.

So, at this point, this is what the spectrum is supposed to look like.

I don’t think that one is quite right though, and I think it ignores the other women in the novel. Specifically, I am talking about the vampire women who appear at Dracula’s castle during Jonathan's stay. If Lucy is the most radical woman on the spectrum- where do they fall?? They literally seduce Jonathan, although he is already engaged, by using their plump, red lips. The only reason they don’t bite him, a sexual act in the novel, is because Dracula storms in. These are some radical women.

In response to this, I propose we change the spectrum. Both Mina and Lucy are not completely traditional or untraditional, and by ignoring the other women in the novel, the entire spectrum becomes messed up. In my opinion, the spectrum should look more like this.