Maggie Evans: An Underrated Heroine

Maggie Evans, portrayed by Kathryn Lee Scott

There are a number of strong female characters featured in Dan Curtis's original daytime gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows" (1965-1971). But sandwiched between the rigid matriarch (Elizabeth Collins) and the spunky governess (Victoria Winters) remains a continually overlooked heroine: the determined and strong-minded Maggie Evans -one of the first victims of Barnabas Collins.

The Backstory
For those who have not yet seen the television show, or Tim Burton's rendition of the story, the overall plot of "Dark Shadows" can be summarized as thus: Set in 'modern-day' Collinsport, Maine, the vampire Barnabas Collins has been awakened from his tomb after more than two hundred years of imprisonment. Disguising himself as a distant cousin among his contemporary descendants, the dark and tortured being seeks to regain all that he had lost in his previous life. 

Maggie, standing in front of Josette's portrait.

After meeting Maggie Evans -who bears a staggering resemblance to his former love, Josette DuPres -Barnabas works to bring the young woman under his thrall and to groom her to be his -you guessed it! -vampire bride. Shot from 1966-67, a fair selection of episodes from the show were dedicated to this storyline -which has since been nicknamed by fans as "The Kidnapping of Maggie Evans."

Maggie as a Heroine
Admittedly, based on the description above, the character of Maggie does not sound or appear particularly unique when compared alongside modern vampire-story heroines such as Sookie Stakehouse ("True Blood") and Elena Gilbert ("The Vampire Diaries").

What needs to be remembered, however, is that Maggie stands among the female archetypes in her genre. That is, she was one of the first females to resist the power of the male vampire and to fight to retain her sense of agency. Not even Mina Murray from Bram Stoker's Dracula can claim such a feminist achievement -despite her being a rather progressive character for her time in literary history.


Despite the strength of Barnabas's mind control powers, and his determination to break and remold her, Maggie's subconscious continued to fight back. Even after breaking his spell, under the threat of death, she could not force herself to succumb to her captor's will.
  
Maggie knew who she was; and she was not Josette -no matter how much the two women looked alike, or how much Barnabas wanted her to be. 

Even for the 1960s, the idea of a woman having more strength than her male superior/oppressor -if only in the psychological sense -was not looked upon too fondly. Back then, still, women were being groomed by their mothers, their society(s), and even their men to fit within a certain mold, a certain image.

Today, autonomous women still find themselves fighting against the vampiric thrall of it all (mothers, societies, men). Magazines, television, and other media tell us what to wear and what to do -primarily in order to please our men. The temptation to give in, at times, can be strong; especially if the promise of love is dangled in front of us. 

Be like Maggie: Don't give in! Don't change who you are (your legitimate self) to be a poor man's (a poor vampire's) Josette. 

One of the worst things a girl, a woman can allow herself to do is to be in a relationship that forces her to compromise any and all sense of agency. 

Be a Maggie Evans; not a Bella Swan. (But I shall save my Twilight rant for another day.)