The "Panopticism" of Michel Foucault is based on the architectural concept of the panopticon. Foucault extended this concept to create a new kind of authority and disciplinary principle. His idea was of anonymous observers who stand their ground and have the power to influence those being observed. This concept is twofold: it is subject to the fact that the person being watched cannot know when they are being watched and to the rules that society imposes on individuals about how they should act in a given situation. This idea can be applied to everyday life, such as how we set up testing rooms for students or when reading literary works like Bram Stoker's Dracula. In Dracula, there are power differentials caused by one or more characters “seeing” what others do not and caused by societal constructs. In Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mina is intrigued by the idea of ​​the "New Woman". This “New Woman” is not subject to men and the rules of Victorian England society. This notion of the “new woman” is that she is more independent and is not submissive to the man but rather is an equal. Mina says "...I guess the 'New Woman' won't deign to accept in the future. She'll propose herself." In doing so, she envisions that women will forgo tradition and take on some of the roles previously reserved for men. In the late 1800s, when this novel is set, the women's suffrage movement was gaining momentum in Europe. It is said that Mina read these new ideas and seemed to wonder how the events of her own life would be perceived by the New Woman. Including whether they would think that she might eat too much for a woman. Although she is interested in concepts, she does not see herself as living that way. Any new skills she learns are for the b...... middle of paper ...... The concept of "panopticism" presented by Michel Foucault can be used to explain how a person will react to being be observed or simply by the thought that they could be monitored at any time. Although society dictates generally accepted behavior for a given period of time, new ideas begin to impact individuals, ultimately forcing society to change its ideals. The character of Mina in Dracula is an example of the complex interrelationships caused by these concepts. Although Mina is introduced to ideas of female independence, she continues to behave as current society dictates – that is, always supporting the men in her life and following their instructions. She would behave like this at all times, because she would never know when she was being watched. Ironically, by following these dictates, she exposes herself to being attacked by Dracula..