sex and the vampire

#4 Discuss the role of sexuality in Dracula. Would you say that Dracula attempts to reproduce himself sexually or by some other means? In what ways does the figure of Dracula subvert conventional notions of heterosexuality? Consider, for instance, his predilection for drinking blood and his habit of making his victims feed from his chest.

this is one of the reading group questions from the back of the book. maybe i'm a dummy, but this one seemed to have some obvious answers to me, so i'm attacking it (pun attended). when i was typing this into a draft post, i was looking forward to what this question might lead to as far as plot points. at this point, it was just jonathan harker hanging out(1) with old creepy mccreeperson dracula, and i thought for sure it was going to be *his* life hanging in the balance while everyone ran around trying to save his ass.

but no. it never turns out that way. i don't know how dracula ever subverts conventional notions of heterosexuality in this particular book. i've heard that dracula is totally sexy (2) and will basically charm the pants off (the blood out of?) anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, but he's pretty much only hitting up the ladies in this book. am i wrong? i tend to read really fast, but he taps lucy, mina and he's got the three vampy ghost broads in the drac-house.

i guess he makes a run at jonathan, but that doesn't really last. in fact, he obviously gets let go (1) and ends up back with his peeps. so when else is he trying to hit up on some guys in this book? the only other time he deals with a dude, he fucks renfield UP!

as far as drinking blood, why is that fucking with heterosexuality? again, we only ever get allusions to it in this particular version. there's not really even too many good descriptions of teeth to neck or sexy bites or kisses, as far as i can tell. there's more god and religion talk, if anything. or husband and wife-ing. oh husband this, oh lover, that. oh good wife, this, oh forever, that.

i didn't do the 'anne rice thing,' but i'd guess she's got some good boy on boy neck sucking. oh, and i didn't know the thing about him making people feed from his chest. i thought he just sort of drained people dry(ish).

(1) what was the point of the jonathan harker visit? to establish how creepy dracula is/was? cause he just ends up getting out with no damage done? and how does *that* happen? there's no mention of that, either. he just skips out of there? and why? why doesn't dracula vampire-ize him?

(2) this dracula doesn't seem sexy AT ALL. at all. he seems more like count chocula than sexy sexy.

thoughts?

there's more ... myay!

now smuss it.