Thesis: Transgression is presented in Dracula as a betrayal and failure to protect oneself from evil, which is exemplified by Lucy’s metamorphosis.
Firstly, it is important to note that Lucy was vulnerable to Dracula from the beginning, and she received a great deal of assistance from others during her illness. The author writes: “no man knows, till he experiences it, what it is to feel his own lifeblood drawn away into the veins of the woman he loves” (Stoker, 1897, p. 178). Dr. John Seward was supplying his blood to Lucy due to the girl’s anemia, which means that the helpers were willing to donate their blood and life essence to help her. The statement can be linked to the fact that Lucy did not want to cooperate by wearing garlic around her neck indicating failure to protect herself.
Secondly, Lucy eventually becomes the vampire terrorizing children betraying the values of the crew who made significant efforts to protect and care for her. The author writes: “Lucy Westenra, but yet how changed. The sweetness was turned to adamantine, heartless cruelty, and the purity to voluptuous wantonness” (Stoker, 1897, p. 304). In other words, Lucy’s metamorphosis showcases her turning from the most precious of human beings, a young woman, into the worst of the creatures, a vampire. This is linked to the transgression being the direct result of the betrayal of values since it was avoidable, but Lucy did not address her sleepwalking vulnerability.
In conclusion, Lucy’s metamorphosis is an example of how transgression can be interpreted as a betrayal and failure to protect oneself from evil. Lucy was vulnerable to Dracula from the beginning, and she received a great deal of assistance from others during her illness. She eventually becomes the vampire terrorizing children betraying the values of the crew who made significant efforts to protect and care for her.
Reference
Stoker, B. (1897). Dracula. Archibald Constable and Company.