Lucy and Mina are the only two female characters we meet in detail in Dracula, and are also the only two characters we see becoming vampires – indeed, they are the only vampiric characters, with the exception of the chief antagonist, that are described in detail within the novel. Both characters are also narrators. Therefore it is clear that these two play a very important role in the novel.

Lucy’s part in the novel may only be relatively short, yet her role is essential to our understanding of the novel, since she is the first victim of Dracula. Lucy is also the only character whose vampiric transformation Stoker describes in detail.

It is during chapter five that Lucy’s narrative voice is heard for the first time, through her two letters to Mina, and here that we first see the key difference between Lucy and Mina in this novel: Lucy is very open about sex and sexuality, whereas Mina rarely comments on the subject at all. In only the second letter written by Lucy, she laments ‘Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble?’. Even though Lucy recognises that this is a somewhat heretical comment, she still makes this inner confession to her friend Mina, and whilst it appears that the two have an emotional link through their friendship, there is no point in the novel where Mina makes such a controversial comment; rather, Mina is everything that a Victorian woman could be expected to be, ‘So true, so sweet, so noble’ as Van Helsing comments. The fact that Stoker has chosen to include such and important contrast between the two major characters so early in the novel suggests that it will play an important part in the narrative. We later learn that this difference is essential to the plot, as it is only Mina’s purity and innocence that allows the group to defeat Dracula at the end of the novel, and saves Mina from Lucy’s fate.

Despite this key difference, we see that both characters are fairly erudite Victorian women. The use of high register adjectives such as ‘exquisite’ and ‘brusque’ in their respective narratives demonstrates their relatively high intelligence, however Mina’s learning of shorthand and concentration more on the factual aspect of the various events perhaps suggests that she is of slightly higher intellect than her friend.

It is clear that Lucy is a beautiful woman, and even has three proposals from three suitors. Her relationship with each of these, even her husband Arthur, is very different from that Mina shares with Jonathan. Mina is always keen to help Jonathan, and Stoker makes us aware of this dedication through Mina’s actions and the language used to describe them:

‘I have been working very hard lately, because I want to keep up with Jonathan’s studies, and I have been practicing shorthand very assiduously.’

This from a letter to Lucy in chapter five, shows Mina’s dedication to Jonathan particularly graphically – not only has Mina resolved to learn shorthand in order to help Jonathan, but she has been practising ‘assiduously’ in his absence, and it is the addition of this adverb that makes the reader realise the extent of Mina’s dedication to Jonathan. She has worked extremely hard to perfect a skill that will help her to help her husband.

Whilst Lucy write to Mina that ‘A woman ought to tell her husband everything.’, it is clear that her dedication to Arthur is not as complete as that of Mina to Jonathan. Whilst Lucy is clearly dedicated to Arthur, the fact that she had three suitors would be perceived by Stoker’s contemporary audience as a degree of promiscuity. Also, Lucy does not display the same level of resolve to help Arthur in his work. Lucy tends to be rather more open than Mina when making comments on the taboo subject of sex. Her voluptuousness becomes progressively more pronounced throughout her transformation, right through until the graveyard scene, where she says

‘Come to me, Arthur. Leave these others and come to me. My arms are hungry for you.’

Whilst this is taken from Lucy whilst she is a vampire and therefore not necessarily accurate of her usual personality, it is likely that Stoker included this incident to emphasise the sexuality which Lucy’s character displays at first, as well as the progressive advancement of this openness during her vampiric transformation.

Lucy and Mina have varying opinions of their role in a relationship, yet both recognise that in Victorian society men are more powerful and important:

‘My dear Mina, why are men so noble when we women are so little worthy of them?’

This, taken from a letter from Lucy to Mina, demonstrates the general feeling between men and women within the novel, a convention clearly accepted by both Mina and Lucy. The key difference here is that Mina allows Jonathan to take control of her life, whereas Lucy seems to want to take control of her own life. It is only because of Mina’s dedication to her husband’s work that she, at least initially, begins to piece together the story of what has happened, and is therefore protected from harm. Lucy remains uninformed by the men and so is vulnerable. Indeed, if Van Helsing had shared his knowledge about why he placed the wreath of garlic around Lucy’s neck, then Mrs Westenra may not have removed them, and Lucy may have survived. Information within this novel can be perceived as power – those with information are well protected against attacks, whereas the uninformed are vulnerable.

Again, this is a key difference between Mina and Lucy – for the majority of the novel, Mina is well informed about the dangers of Dracula, whilst Lucy is unaware – Mina is protected, and Lucy is vulnerable. This only changes when the men decide that Mina, as a woman, should be protected from the truth, and so she becomes uninformed, and vulnerable, which leads to her being attacked. It is only when the men realise that Mina, despite the fact that she is a supposedly ‘weak’ female, can help them through the hypnosis plan, that they are finally able to slay Dracula. For this reason, as well as Mina’s key role in organising the various documents to work out what is happening, Mina can be described as the protagonist of Dracula.

In this novel, we see the presentation of two typical Victorian females – pure, innocent Mina who, through her dedication to her husband’s work is kept informed about the dangers of Dracula and is therefore ultimately saved, and Lucy whose slight promiscuity is exaggerated as she becomes a vampire. Whilst there are many similarities between the two characters, Mina is a ‘perfect’ Victorian wife in the sense of her dedication to Jonathan, compared to Lucy who is more physically attractive, and ultimately it is this difference that leads each character to their individual fate.