Chapter 17 is an especially important chapter in this novel because the meeting between the Harkers and Lucy’s friends is described in alternating diary entries, which allows the reader to simultaneously see what is going on in each of the characters heads. The majority of the views are from Mina’s and Seward’s perspectives. Mina’s final diary entry develops a lot of new views and thoughts of Mina in the readers mind, and contributes a lot to the presentation of Mina in the entire novel.
The chapter begins by explaining how thrilled she is that Jonathan is well again. She says
‘I am so glad that I hardly know how to contain myself…as at present.’
This large chunk of the entry reveals the caring and compassionate wife she is to Jonathan again. Mina says
‘I feel myself quite wild with excitement.’
She really proves to be supportive in these ‘turbulent’ times for Jonathan, and this view is something that is quite ‘concrete’ throughout the book. Mina feels part of her husband, and she feels excited that he is now freed of the evil Dracula. Even when Mina eventually does fall victim to Dracula’s fatal bite, her ‘voluptuous’ state does not interfere with her love for Jonathan
A wife may be expected to give such unconditional love to her husband but Mina goes one step further and offers her love to friends as well, which is a very special characteristic quality. She says
‘It was to me a painful meeting.’
This really shows that the meeting was physically having an effect on her because of the loss of Lucy. She took the measures to read ‘all the papers and diaries,’ and that her and Jonathan ‘ had just finished putting them in order’ after typewriting them. This really shows what a good friend Lucy is, but leads directly into another point.
The whole fact that Mina can actually use the typewriter is again due to her willingness to help and be available to those in need. Mina is constantly assisting her husband, who evidently needs psychological help after being in Dracula’s company. At the beginning of chapter 5, she says
‘The typewriter at which also I am practicing very hard.’
She learnt how to use the typewriter so that she could help her husband. She always takes her kindness a step over the line, which develops constantly throughout the book. Not only does she make one copy of typewritten notes but she ‘gave them each a copy to read in the library,’ showing that she is always enthusiastic to preserve her reputation by doing the right thing.
We see Mina continuing to do the right thing later on in the book too when she tells the group to kill her if she is becoming a threat, in her vampiric state. She cares for others more than herself, and this quality really shines within her.
Mina throughout the book shows good indications of intelligence too. Mina is not only kind but a truly talented person too. She is very fluent in shorthand, and also learnt and practiced how to use a typewriter sufficiently. She also cleverly knows how to deal with delicate situations such as the one described in chapter 17. She says
‘I could hear the tears in his voice.’
She then treats Arthur with extra special care and kindly offers her hand as a sister to him. It takes a lot of intelligence to understand how people will react to certain situations and Mina seems very prepared for suchlike situations. Mina shows a clear understanding of human psychology and shows that she wants to understand how people feel.
Also, a contrast can be made between the style of Mina’s writing in her journal, and Lucy’s style of writing. When Lucy describes how she was proposed to three times at the beginning of chapter 5, the way in which she expresses herself could be considered a very undeveloped and ‘girly’ way of speaking. She says
‘ I feel sorry, really and truly sorry.’
This exaggeration is unnecessary and is just an immature way of expressing feelings. Mina, however, shows intelligence within her writing, and shows vast knowledge and maturity expected of an adult.
Mina’s maturity, kindness, and care for others remains more or less the same throughout the book, but her sexuality throughout the entire novel is quite strange. Although she is married and takes a great interest in her husband’s life, not once throughout the novel does she say anything that merely resembles anything sexual. This may be seen as a deficient characteristic, but I think that Bram Stoker purposely made Mina refrain from resembling her sexual desire, so that Mina could maintain her decency. Mina enters the readers mind immediately as a strong honest character, and I truly feel that she was able to maintain that throughout the novel with tremendous success.