Mina Murray

Mina Murray, later Mina Harker, is a intelligent, strong woman, in an age where intelligent, strong women aren't appreciated. Stoker, in his portrayal of her character, both attempts to get this across, and colors his depiction with his own biases. The other characters share these biases, and Mina resents this. She doesn't want to sit idle while the men protect and shelter her. She wants, and insists on, taking an active role in hunting the creature who plagues her.

Mina is an assistant schoolmistress, and seems a little older than Jonathan and Lucy – she mentions having helped Lucy with schoolwork, and this may be the root of their friendship, despite the class difference. She has a keen memory for details. She consciously develops this by trying to record conversations as she hears them into her journal, which she writes in emulation of women journalists she admires. She also has a fondness for trains, and memorizes train tables, an interesting quirk, hinting at skill with numbers, which she'd need as a teacher. Beyond mere obsession, this would keep her mobile and independent. She values her freedom highly, and even though she's getting married, which would, in this era, probably put an end to her teaching career, she looks for things she can learn and do to work with and assist Jonathan.

Mina was originally supposed to be a housecat, and was hard to cast. I decided to make her a lynx, and that's moot, since at the time of writing this, she hasn't showed up yet in the comic. I decided to make her into a lynx instead because lynxes have a sense of secrecy and wildness to them that's been bread out of pet cats, and Mina herself has more to her than the Victorian stereotypes of what a woman should be.

It's worth mentioning that the comic version of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen features a very well done interpretation of Mina's character, and is a must read for any fans of Mina or Victorian literature in general. While the movie version was entertaining, they butchered her character. I recommend getting your hands on the books if you can.