Dracula: Stoker and Netflix (Episode 3)
Dracula and Gender: Netflix vs. Stoker
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| The Netflix Dracula (2020) |
The Show Vs. The Book
In 2020, Netflix released a three-episode series based on the Bram Stoker novel, "Dracula," that shares the same name. When I was given this assignment, I was thrilled to compare this adaptation to the book. There are several similarities and amazingly beautiful differences that I am both pleased and concerned with. While they use the same character names and personalities, there are some apparent differences. In the third episode, we see some of the original characters from the book return. The new Jack Seward, a young junior doctor, Lucy, the party girl, and Dracula, the vampire. However, some characters were a bit different from Stoker's adaptation. Dr. Van Helsing is portrayed as two female characters, Agatha, a nun, and Zoe, a scientist who wishes to study Dracula. Both are related by blood. Then there's Renfield. In the book, Renfield was a madman locked on Dr. Sewards mental hospital. However, in the Netflix adaptation, Renfield is a lawyer. Yes, a lawyer. Even though Renfield was able to be a lawyer in this adaptation, he still has his creepy moments, such as him eating a fly and stating, "Dracula is my Lord." Another difference is that this episode is set in more modern times. With scenes of clubbing and social media. It is actually quite funny to see Dracula playing on an iPad.
Gender is essential in both the Netflix series and the original book, and the biggest example is Ms. Lucy W.. Lucy has been labeled as having a reputation in the show, having sex with Seward "three times. Four, depending what you count" (0:23:13). Even her friends admit to slut-shaming Lucy for being a flirt with several men. She is the definition of a female sex figure openly admitting to having had sex with several men and even getting engaged quickly to the American, Quincey. The way she acted when her and Dracula met is very open and sexual. She is seen dancing in a club with a tight sparkly dress, showing openness and want for Dracula. During this dance scene, her face and body seemed very turned on, looking at Dracula. In the cemetery a few nights later, Lucy seems warm and cuddly towards Dracula, like on a date even though she is supposed to be married in two days. Lucy is bitten by Dracula, and the bite is very sexual with Lucy sitting on Dracula's lap while she moans. Willingly summiting to him.
Dracula declares that he doesn't mind how she looks, but Lucy interjects her opinion very strongly. Jack takes pitty on Lucy, telling her to kiss him. After some convincing, she does kiss Jack but notices that he has a stake behind his back to kill her. Lucy begs him to kill her, seemingly just on the fact that she is no longer beautiful and that she doesn't want to live forever on the idea of her looking the way she once did. This makes Lucy look very self-centered on her looks, being another female obsessed with her image.
Gender Stereotypes: Lucy
Slut-Shamming
Gender is essential in both the Netflix series and the original book, and the biggest example is Ms. Lucy W.. Lucy has been labeled as having a reputation in the show, having sex with Seward "three times. Four, depending what you count" (0:23:13). Even her friends admit to slut-shaming Lucy for being a flirt with several men. She is the definition of a female sex figure openly admitting to having had sex with several men and even getting engaged quickly to the American, Quincey. The way she acted when her and Dracula met is very open and sexual. She is seen dancing in a club with a tight sparkly dress, showing openness and want for Dracula. During this dance scene, her face and body seemed very turned on, looking at Dracula. In the cemetery a few nights later, Lucy seems warm and cuddly towards Dracula, like on a date even though she is supposed to be married in two days. Lucy is bitten by Dracula, and the bite is very sexual with Lucy sitting on Dracula's lap while she moans. Willingly summiting to him.
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| Lucy and Dracula at the cemetery |
Vanity
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| Lucy's Chared Selfie |
Dracula declares that he doesn't mind how she looks, but Lucy interjects her opinion very strongly. Jack takes pitty on Lucy, telling her to kiss him. After some convincing, she does kiss Jack but notices that he has a stake behind his back to kill her. Lucy begs him to kill her, seemingly just on the fact that she is no longer beautiful and that she doesn't want to live forever on the idea of her looking the way she once did. This makes Lucy look very self-centered on her looks, being another female obsessed with her image.
I enjoyed greatly that you discussed Lucy! I really enjoyed her character in the show and still didn't catch the things that you mentioned the first around. I thought it was quite interesting seeing how fact Dracula adapted to technology and was not phased by the iPad.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. I thought you were creative with it and I enjoyed reading it. My favorite part was the vanity paragraph and I thought the picture was perfect choice for said paragraph.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said about Lucy. How you explained how she acts in the slut-shaming paragraph captured Lucy how she is as a character.
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