#this veered off massively from the actual topic at hand into madonna/whore dichotomy territory sorry lmaoo

[popsicle-stick]

I thought Lucy saying that dress is a bore was the popular take, at least here? That it goes against her mainstream depitions? idk at least in my experience here. I think popular culture (like... looking at you, Netflix Dracula 2020 and NBC Draula 2013) make her not just a Fashion Girl but also obsessed wth her appearance, on the other hand. Which I agree, she says the exact opposite of that. I've seen even her looking at the mirror in those depictions as a Vanity thing,, when she very much is STYDYING herself. Anyway yea. Mina being more fashion-conscious makes more sense to me too.

idk i feel like i only ever see the frillier, more fashion conscious take on her here, serving as a girly gal in contrast to a plainer mina which is NO bad interpretation in itself, but idk. not my personal lucy, i guess? i do think this is fuelled a lot by the film and tv adaptations and despite the fandom disregard for them, they've still managed to Influence The Blueprint in certain regards, even on here.

i do think that popular interpretation here differs from pop culture in how lucy treats others - she's not depicted as self-obsessed and shallow as the way she is in adaptations, whereas obviously a more selfless and loving lucy takes precedence here (thank god) but either way, most interpretations seem to agree she's a girl's girl, from what i've seen.

i agree absolutely with the mirror thing though - when she says this:

He has a curious habit of looking one straight in the face, as if trying to read one’s thoughts. He tries this on very much with me, but I flatter myself he has got a tough nut to crack. I know that from my glass. Do you ever try to read your own face? I do, and I can tell you it is not a bad study, and gives you more trouble than you can well fancy if you have never tried it. He says that I afford him a curious psychological study, and I humbly think I do.

it makes me INSANE how similar jack and lucy are in this regard: lucy's mirror-staring, to me, reflects (ha) jack's usage of renfield as a kind of psychological mirror. they're both preoccupied with self-examination, both concerned deeply with fitting in the right way, about being liked, and what makes me the joker is how jack is afforded a depth of character he deserves yet, as you point out, in the hands of pop culture, lucy's similar introspection is reduced to just. well. plain vanity. she is a transgressive character for what's acceptable for her position in late victorian society, but screenwriters (incapable of imagining an actual woman) say well. surely that means she's sexy. right. that's what transgressive means, right????? yeah guys?? sexy???