#do i tag this as renward...

[thebibi]

Could you explain how Van Helsing is the real sexual liberator of the story according to one of your recent posts? I’d love to hear about it, he’s my favourite member of the Drac Attack Pack!

In older literary analysis and media adaptations there's this theory that Dracula "liberates" Lucy and Mina from their roles in Victorian society, because being a vampire means being much more control of yourself and your sexuality.

However, personally I see Van Helsing being the bisexual awakening/sexual liberator to Seward. Quite literally, after he arrives in the story Seward is much more overtly descriptive of how attractive men are that wasn't present in the story before hand*.

When introduced into the novel, Jack is aware there is something "wrong" with him, and he wishes that Lucy would help him be normal. He has depression, possibly even before he proposed to Lucy. To cope he focuses on his work, but really he just performs exceedly unethical experiments on Renfield. Pointedly, Jack does not mention Van Helsing at all in the novel, but as soon as he does, we get a description of how wonderful and exceptional he is, way beyond professional capabilities and more akind to having a crush:

This, with an iron nerve, a temper of the ice-brook, an indomitable resolution, self-command, and toleration exalted from virtues to blessings, and the kindliest and truest heart that beats—these form his equipment for the noble work that he is doing for mankind—work both in theory and practice, for his views are as wide as his all-embracing sympathy. I tell you these facts that you may know why I have such confidence in him.

These are not facts, Jack.

The September 7th entry is really good at showcasing this. He hasn't described Arthur before, but today he says:

"When first the Professor's eye had lit upon him he had been angry at his interruption at such a time; but now, as he took in his stalwart proportions and recognised the strong young manhood which seemed to emanate from him, his eyes gleamed."

And it just snowballs from there. Ever since Van Helsing appeared, Jack is much more aware of men's appearances and their manliness. And Van Helsing brings up Jack sucking gangrene from his wound, which forshadows blood transfusions, as they are both intimate healing rituals where body fluids are shared. Van Helsing being present immediately brings out this trait in Jack, like he is meta textually encouraging it.

*The other exception to this is Renfield. Obviously its highly unethical, but I find Jack's interest in Renfield is a "safe" option for him to expressive obssessive feelings towards because he is a patient. Notice when Van Helsing meets Lucy for the first time, Jack immediately distances himself from Renfield, even avoiding calling him by name.