I think it’s notable Bram Stoker started writing Dracula during the trial of Oscar Wilde, who was convicted of having sexual encounters with other men. The writers had known each other a long time, even fighting over the same woman in their youth, despite both being interested in men, and possibly both being gay. It’s harder to say with Bram Stoker, but he wrote quite an incriminating letter to Walt Whittman, who himself wrote very suggestive poetry about men and had relationships with them. Bram Stoker also tried to remove all references to Oscar Wilde from his own writing and correspondence following the trial. Keep in mind Oscar Wilde’s own book (The Picture of Dorean Grey) was used as evidence against him. Knowing that is going to potentially impact how other LGBTQ+ writers wrote, especially those who could be associated with him, like Stoker.
So, this book was likely written by a closeted writer, who feared imprisonment or worse, if he ever acted on his desires. It very notably and repeatedly promotes heteronormative structures as ideal in way that is unusual even for the period. Heteronotitivity is something the character of Dracula directly threatens. The first part of the book Bram Stoker wrote was Dracula defending Harker from the female vampires. This is the part where Dracula says he loves Harker and ‘this man is mine.’ This is potentially quite telling. You could easily read the book as a story about internalised homophobia, where Dracula represents (unwanted) male same sex attraction. Dracula has some potential similarities to Oscar Wilde, in fact, and it does involve a fight over women between Dracula and the male heroes.
The close male relationships themselves are interesting in terms of this interpretation. They could be read as an attempt to show close male bonds which are most definitely not sexual, because all the heroic thing the men do are very definitely for women, not for each other. While there is an element of being able to break social norms of traditional masculinity or femininity, it is only up to a point. This something LBGTQ+ people in particular would acutely aware of.
In terms of ‘social fear,’ the fear of unacceptable sexual desire as rooted in the period, and notable from the trial of Oscar Wilde, could be a consideration, but it also possibly the book speaks to the very specific fears and turmoil’s of an LGBTQ+ writer during a period of persecution.
I think it’s notable Bram Stoker started writing Dracula during the trial of Oscar Wilde, who was convicted of having sexual encounters with other men. The writers had known each other a long time, even fighting over the same woman in their youth, despite both being interested in men, and possibly both being gay. It’s harder to say with Bram Stoker, but he wrote quite an incriminating letter to Walt Whittman, who himself wrote very suggestive poetry about men and had relationships with them. Bram Stoker also tried to remove all references to Oscar Wilde from his own writing and correspondence following the trial. Keep in mind Oscar Wilde’s own book (The Picture of Dorean Grey) was used as evidence against him. Knowing that is going to potentially impact how other LGBTQ+ writers wrote, especially those who could be associated with him, like Stoker.
So, this book was likely written by a closeted writer, who feared imprisonment or worse, if he ever acted on his desires. It very notably and repeatedly promotes heteronormative structures as ideal in way that is unusual even for the period. Heteronotitivity is something the character of Dracula directly threatens. The first part of the book Bram Stoker wrote was Dracula defending Harker from the female vampires. This is the part where Dracula says he loves Harker and ‘this man is mine.’ This is potentially quite telling. You could easily read the book as a story about internalised homophobia, where Dracula represents (unwanted) male same sex attraction. Dracula has some potential similarities to Oscar Wilde, in fact, and it does involve a fight over women between Dracula and the male heroes.
The close male relationships themselves are interesting in terms of this interpretation. They could be read as an attempt to show close male bonds which are most definitely not sexual, because all the heroic thing the men do are very definitely for women, not for each other. While there is an element of being able to break social norms of traditional masculinity or femininity, it is only up to a point. This something LBGTQ+ people in particular would acutely aware of.
In terms of ‘social fear,’ the fear of unacceptable sexual desire as rooted in the period, and notable from the trial of Oscar Wilde, could be a consideration, but it also possibly the book speaks to the very specific fears and turmoil’s of an LGBTQ+ writer during a period of persecution.