what would you have me do?

I can't remember who said it first, but I 100% agree that Marian Halcombe should have been the main character of The Woman in White (@animate-mush you quoted someone else saying this? I think?). I get that a female character couldn't dart around the country investigating like Walter can, but she could, for instance, have been the one to collate all the documents and draw the conclusions. That didn't all have to be Walter.

What I find fascinating is... I think Bram Stoker came to the same conclusion? His capable, efficient female character with initials MH is at the centre of the narrative: she collates the documents, and she at least co-directs the energies of the men. Marian almost vanishes from the story in Epoch 3; Mina is there from start to finish. I genuinely wonder if the boys learn to regret excluding Mina because Walter never learned to regret excluding Marian.

If so, good work, Bram. You did do it better.

"Mina Harker was one of the most passive women in literature, representing Victorian virtue until she is attacked, and then is considered soiled because of it."

Mr & Mrs Harker

mina harker be like

Then he took my hand in his, and oh, Lucy, it was the first time he took his wife’s hand, and said that it was the dearest thing in all the wide world, and that he would go through all the past again to win it, if need be.

Mina and Jonathan are married!!!!!

......

[ID: Tumblr post by @ nonomella that reads, "that terrifying moment when everything is happily resolved but the book still has 200 pages left." End ID]

Here's what I propose re: wedding ring(s)

It was apparently uncommon (but not unheard of) for husbands to wear rings prior to WWII. The Harkers are both orphans - it has been proposed that Jonathan was orphaned fairly late (old enough to know his "first father" by contrast to his "second father") but Mina lost at least her father very young (she has never known another father figure) and perhaps she ended up as Mr. Hawkins' ward as previously the Murray family solicitor.

Anyway with these speculations in place what I propose is: Jonathan proposes with his mother's ring. He has inherited at least some of his parents' effects (there's another of his belongings which will appear later on that we have speculated may be inherited). Mina is wearing it already during Hot Girl Summer, and so has it with her when she runs off to Budapest. But when Mr Hawkins forwards Sister Agatha's letter, he includes her mother's ring, which he has been holding in trust for her, just in case she doesn't have everything she needs for the emergency wedding he's urging. And she gives it to Jonathan when they wed (because of course he would wear a ring if there was one available to be had, and he's so emaciated there's no danger of it being too small)

So Mina is wearing Jonathan's mother's ring and Jonathan is wearing Mina's mother's ring and they all lived happily ever after the end.

“Feminist” academia’s reaction to Mina’s devotion in today’s Dracula update is such a perfect example of why intersectionality is vital in feminism. It derides Mina’s loyalty to Jonathan, and chalks her not letting his disability deter her from marrying him up to mindlessly falling into serving the patriarchy bla bla bla

Not a thought spared for what this could mean for disabled people—that loyalty through sickness and trauma is beautiful and romantic, or the worth of love that isn’t conditional on someone being able-bodied. No reflection on why “she should have dumped him because he’s not good enough for her anymore” might be harmful.

Not only that, but later we’re going to see how this unconditional love through sickness and in health is fully mutual. While this book was by no means pro-feminist, treating its moments of beauty re: disability as being backwards and oppressive is not the way to dismantle that.

the nurse reassuring Mina like no babe, he would never cheat on you! he’s just been tormented by evil the likes of which your mind can’t comprehend, don’t you worry

I am now a card-carrying member of the "I cried and Mina and Jonathan's wedding" club

dracula is my most recent source of serotonin so here's part of the gang + renfield

He’ll grow into it.

[ID. A flat color illustration of Mina Harker and Jonathan Harker holding their child, Quincey, in their arms between them. Jonathan’s white hair is combed back, and he wears a brown suit with a wine-red double-breasted waist coat, and a small red bowtie. He looks lovingly at Mina as Quincey rests his head on his heart. Quincey has loose natural curls, brown skin and green eyes. He wears a navy blue sailor suit with a red tie, shorts, stockings and boots. He pushes up the brim of an over-sized cowboy hat as he smiles at Mina. Mina wears her hair in an high updo with twists, and a few curly stray hairs framing her face. She also wears an aqua blue afternoon gown with gold accents, and her wedding ring on the hand with which she holds Jonathan’s arm. She looks at their son with a peaceful expression. END ID.]

The ending line frames the whole story as being centered around Mina. If you care.

LOVE that ultimate wife guy Jonathan Harker ends his account with once again reminding us this story is all about Mina and how much he loves Mina

Van Helsing and Jonathan: "Eventually this boy will learn how strong, brave, gallant and smart his mother is, when she hunted down Dracula"

Van Helsing and Jonathan: "The rest of us were there too I guess"

I can't believe it's canon that Jonathon would say to his son, "Quincey Jack Abraham Arthur...you were named after the bravest men I knew".