Chapter 5 - Letters from Miss Mina Murray to Miss Lucy Westenra

This chapter includes a series of letters between Miss Mina Murray (Jonathan's fiancee) and Miss Lucy Westenra who appears to be a childhood friend of Mina. It seems as though they haven't seen each other for a little while as they use the letters as an opportunity to catch up with each other. Mina wants to see her friend again "I am longing to be with you" however she is busy with lots of work from her job as an assistant schoolmistress and from attempting to improve her skills at shorthand and with a typewriter. This is a good example for showing when the story is set. Lucy replies to Mina's letter and explains that she has been "proposed" to by three men all on the same day. She then goes on to talk about and describe the first two men and how they proposed to her. The first, Dr John Seward runs a lunatic asylum and the second, Mr Quincy P. Morris is an American from Texas. She tells of how she rejected them because she loved someone else and then ends the letter saying that she is so happy to be engaged but a bit upset at the same time for having to reject the other two. The series of letters is followed by a diary entry by Dr Seward concerning a peculiar patient of his and then by a letter sent by Mr Morris to his 'good friend' Arthur Holmwood. In this letter he congratulates his friend on the fact that he has won the heart of Lucy and will marry her.