Fanfiction- The Making of a Monster
Title: The Making of a Monster
Fandom: Dracula
Prompt: Written for the 6impearfics prompt The Queen of Hearts. "Lily of the Valley, Calla Lily, stephanotis and a drop of cherry."
Rating: T
Summary: What would it have taken for Mina to love Dracula? What kind of person might she have been to accept his courtship?( Read more... )
Your language is very rich here, and I love some of the emotional nuances you draw into this - especially his blood which tastes "of the iron from a thousand wars" and "the joy of willing sacrifice". Dense and evocative; a pleasure to read. Your premise makes me think of how little information we have about Mina during the first section of the novel, the places where the characterization could twist.
But - may I devolve into an essay here? I wouldn't do this if I didn't know that you do enjoy analysis of the novel, and I hope this is something you're interested in dialoguing about - this was so interesting to read as someone who goes from such a different direction when I write Dracula/Mina. I don't think it takes a Mina who is a born villainess to fall for Dracula's courtship - I think traumatic bonding is entirely sufficient. And I know I'm biased, because that's really a large part of why I entered the Dracula fandom, because I think the novel deals with traumatic bonding so interestingly. The conceit of the mental connection and the forced intimacy, both physical and mental, which surrounds it, the way that Mina's bedroom and then her mind both end up turned into private, unknowable spaces between the two of them...I think that is, in itself, enough to create romantic intimacy, though never an intimacy that is non-abusive. I love how the mental link acts a symbolic externalization of the psychological process which is entirely normal in trauma, and that's the dynamic which I find interesting to play with in my writing.
I believe that a lot of the tension in the final third of the novel comes from the fact that Mina is very much aware of the possibility of giving in, and chooses to resist it. Whatever your ethical opinion about someone, having their mind so close to your own creates intimacy. I think there are a lot of ways that Dracula could theoretically wear down Mina's defenses, and one of the most powerful is that he can promise her an end to the isolation that comes from trauma. Through the blood exchange connection, he can be with her in it. Which is very seductive. The great beauty of the novel is that Mina and Jonathan (who are both very traumatized) and the suitors and Van Helsing (...who are only marginally less traumatized) fight against that isolation by creating a community amongst themselves, thus giving Mina enough support to resist Dracula.
....I sort of have a lot to say about this? Sorry.
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I think Mina is tempted, but it's hard to say how much of that is genuine attraction and how much is mind control. As you said, a relationship between her and Dracula with her as she is in the book could never be non-abusive. I imagine that if he had fully turned her, it either wouldn't be her (as we are led to believe with Lucy) or if it was her, some part of her would always be fighting him.
What you said about a community is very true! Hence, one might say, when Mina is attacked it is because she has been isolated. I think her love of Jonathan and her friends is what keeps her human, but not in the sense of keeping from being seduced- I think it's what keeps her from giving in to despair and trying to end her life.
I guess my feelings on this are a little complicated! But I appreciate the discussion and may think about wording the summary so it comes off less bash-y.
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Kate Cary's Blodline novels have an evil Mina. Though they're really awful books, you might be interested in looking at them just for comparison. But you're completely right that it's rare - though there are a lot of versions that try to set Mina up as an 'equal' to Dracula, that generally goes along with romanticizing him as well.
I think Mina is tempted, but it's hard to say how much of that is genuine attraction and how much is mind control. As you said, a relationship between her and Dracula with her as she is in the book could never be non-abusive. I imagine that if he had fully turned her, it either wouldn't be her (as we are led to believe with Lucy) or if it was her, some part of her would always be fighting him.
True - I personally don't like writing with the 'it wouldn't be her' premise just because I find it more interesting to write about manipulation and slow psychological battles than a complete loss of self, but that's just my taste and personal lens talking. How to define where 'genuine attraction' begins is a really difficult topic.
Hence, one might say, when Mina is attacked it is because she has been isolated.
Yes, yes - very much so. I agree entirely.
but not in the sense of keeping from being seduced- I think it's what keeps her from giving in to despair and trying to end her life.
To me, it seems like the being seduced and giving into despair are two sides of the same thing, in some ways - I think, if she's in that place of giving up, how Dracula deals with that could very easily tip the scales in either direction.
I don't think you need to worry about the summary - some Dracula/Mina people might take offense, but we've all written bash-y summaries at one time or another.
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This does get into some tricky issues, granted, since it's not my place to judge how people respond to trauma. People certainly have come to sympathise and care for their abductors or tormentors, and I can't say "Mina would never do that" because we just don't know, given the story.
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