Mina: A New Type of Woman

Mina observing Jonathan going on journey’s and taking adventures longed to do the same. Through learning typewriting Mina had opened a world slightly filled with excitement, at least more than the ideal woman at the time had. Not only will she be able to help her husband with his work which would keep them close together but she would be able to break a bit from the old female norm and be a satisfactory new age woman. Within the story of the typewriter it stated how a new woman’s life was depicted by learning typewriting, as such, “Images soon abounded in the newspapers, novels, theatrical plays, and popular post cards of the period, depicting the type-writer girl as leading a life of glamour and adventure.” (Keep) Not only could she still be seen as a respectable woman but she could have a taste of freedom from the norm which is a tad bit of a thrill opposed from what typical women did during that time. Through being a typist Mina is a heroine in Dracula. If it would have not been for her the men would have no organization in documentation and if it weren't for the intelligence of Mina typing more copies of documents they would have lost their accounts completely. It is sad that when a woman bears a child she can no longer work as a typist, it gave freedom to the ladies but that was snatched away. A mother needs to have the sense of freedom; especially having to do all the work she does in the house.

Also people of the time were in awe as well as fear of the typewriter. Many accounts in Keep’s documentation suggested that people would lose intimacy that handwritten documents had given off. They feared that society would lose the individual flair that handwritten documents and letters had. Stoker explores this in Dracula and by what Mina says here it seems like self expression isn't going to be an issue from reading thoughts from typewritten documents. “but I have been more touched than I can say by your grief. That is a wonderful machine, but it is cruelly true. It told me, in it’s very tones, the anguish of your heart. It was like a soul crying out to almighty God. No one must hear them spoken ever again! See, I have tried to be useful. I have copied out the words on my typewriter, and none other need now hear your heart beat, as I did.” (Stoker, 197) Mina’s reaction suggests that Dr. Seward’s words still had a hardy impact on her emotions. Thus this debunks some of the fears that people of the time had about losing emotion in their writing.