The Women of “Dracula”, Part 2: Patriarchy Bites

Paranormal Pajama Party

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This isn't just a vampire story; it's a chilling exposé of Victorian anxieties. In part two of our series on the women of “Dracula”, the Paranormal Pajama Party podcast plunges deeper into Bram Stoker's classic, exploring how it grapples with female power, intellectual authority, and the fragile state of masculinity.

We spend the night with the ravenous Brides of Dracula to learn what their unbridled desire suggests about society's fears of female sexuality. Then, we unpack the fascinating intellectual clash between Mina Murray and Van Helsing, and how Mina’s brilliance both saves and challenges the patriarchal order. Finally, we explore Jonathan Harker’s unsettling journey through emasculation and "re-masculinisation" – and the cost to Mina's agency.

Is “Dracula” a proto-feminist text, or a masterclass in moral panic crisis management? Tune in to decide!

Key moments:

• 1:02 – Jonathan Harker meets the Brides of Dracula
• 13:04 – Dracula's Brides... or whoever they are.
• 19:17 – Mina Murray: Lady Journalist
• 23:32 – A Man's Brain and a Woman's Heart: Van Helsing vs Mina
• 32:24 – Jonathan Harker: Damsel in Distress No More

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فصول

1. Content warning (00:00:00)

2. Jonathan Harker meets the Brides of Dracula (00:01:02)

3. Welcome to the party! A quick recap of part one of this series. (00:10:50)

4. Dracula's Brides... or whoever they are. (00:13:04)

5. Female characters have to be useful to male characters. Duh. (00:17:57)

6. Mina Murray: Lady Journalist (00:19:17)

7. A Man's Brain and a Woman's Heart: Van Helsing vs Mina (00:23:32)

8. Drac attack! (00:28:34)

9. Jonathan Harker: Damsel in Distress No More (00:32:24)

10. Is "Dracula" kind of feminist? (LOL, no.) (00:34:53)

11. Outro – don't forget to subscribe to my Substack! (00:38:14)