Café de Nuit

Have been pondering this question for some time. Talking in this post, mostly about Stoker's literary Dracula: is he in love with Mina? Can he love ("you yourselves can tell it from the past, is it not so" etc.)? Is it as simple as Dracula just being an evil being driven toward blookdlust, or is he really trying hard and just failing miserably? Is Dracula's sense toward women bogged down in Eastern-European Medieval conceptions of what a women's role should be? Ideas, and evidence (?) from the text?

Well, having re-read the book a couple of months ago, I don't think love really interested Dracula. The only "love stories" in Stoker's novel was between Mina & Jonathon, and between Lucy & Arthur (along with the triangle of courtship). There wasn't really that much to suggest, one way of the other, that Dracula was in love with Mina IMHO.

Granted, Dracula did turn Lucy, and was trying to turn Mina, but I think that was more of a lust instead of love. Part of this idea could have been the medieval European ideas that you spoke of. But I believe that it was more of a way to affect Stoker's reading audience, to have the damned monster corrupting women, turning them into his eternal servants. Plus, if you were going to make a companion that could possibly be with you for eternity, why not a couple of beautiful women

I read Stoker's Dracula as being almost a serial rapist, possibly bisexual if one reads between the lines with his interactions with Jonathan. He was a Prince, General, etc. He's used to getting his own way, and with the women - the little thing known as consent doesn't matter to him, because sure they'll see things his way, once free of this English Prudish nonsense.

I agree with both of you. Dracula's used to power, and domination. His ideals regarding women, romance etc. are definitely skewed by this perception.

In regards to Mina and Lucy . . .

with Lucy, right, definitely lust/food/survival based: she's prey, killed right away and made into undead.

. . . but with Mina?

The "turn" takes much longer, a psychic link develops between her and Dracula and he shares his blood with her . . . is there the possibility that Dracula finds Mina an attractive challenge, precisely because she's Jonathan's betroved, and an independent and intelligent woman in her own right? (I've always seen Lucy as a bit of a "push over" with the business with the three suitors and all.) Maybe with Mina, its not precisely love, but fascination/obsession that drives Dracula. However there seems to be a difference between his relationship with Lucy, and that of his longer dealings with Mina.

Stoker's Dracula is not only a very evil monster, he's un-sexy. He has grave-breath. The sexy Dracula is a later phenomenon.

I don't think he's in love with Mina at all. He's a violent predator that wants to consume /possess her. He's not a misunderstood, romantic anti-hero.

That's my take on it, anyway. YMMV.