Actually sex was just a part of it. The vampires used mesmerism, flattery, and sexual attraction to lure their victims. Their main goal was to feed themselves. They didn't derive any more pleasure feeding themselves than anyone else eating supper.
Most of the victims were children--who are sexually immature. Lucy fed on children in Hampstead Heath. Dracula and the 3 sisters fed on babies and children they caught in Transylvania. Maybe they preferred children because they were easier to catch.
Not all victims turned into vampires either. Besides Dracula, there were only 4 other full-fledged vampires: Lucy and the 3 sisters. (Mina was in the transformation stage but didn't complete) You'd think if merely biting a victim would cause the transformation, there would a million vampires in Transylvania since Dracula had been feeding there for hundreds of years. Maybe the transformation required sexual maturity, so they fed on children to keep the numbers down. Maybe intercourse was a necessary step to begin the transformation process. Obviously Dracula could choose who to transform and who not to transform.
Personally I think the necessary step for transformation was the 2-way exchange of blood. Remember: they caught Dracula in the act with Mina. It wasn't sex, but that's what started the process.
The main themes of Dracula, and I see it, are:
- Exploitation - somebody is always exploiting somebody else in this world
- Knowledge & Beliefs - we believe what we've learned to believe and close our minds to everything else
- God's will be done - Good prevails over evil, eventually
References:
Bram Stoker. Dracula [Kindle Edition]. 1897.
SparkNotes Editors. "SparkNotes: Dracula." SparkNotes LLC. 2003. Web 2011.
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