We want no proofs; we ask none to believe us! This boy will some day know what a brave and gallant woman his mother is. Already he knows her sweetness and loving care; later on he will understand how some men so loved her, that they did dare much for her sake.
– Bram Stoker
Dracula, Chapter 27. The final words of the novel, as Van Helsing pays tribute to Mina, while her son sits on his knee. He sums up her character perfectly – sweet, loving, brave and dedicated to the men who protected her.