"Carmilla" continued...
1) In "The Vampire in the House: Hysteria, Female Sexuality, and Female Knowledge in Le Fanu's 'Carmilla,'" Tamar Heller suggests Le Fanu’s Carmilla is an early version of what has
become a very familiar script of the lesbian “vamp” devouring young
girls. In this script, she writes, “Both the body of the lesbian and
the mind of the victim she brainwashes are the site of a battle over
who gets to define, and hence to control, femininity and its desires:
women or the fathers, priests, and doctors who are the story’s male
‘knowers’” (80). What do you think she means by this statement? How do
you see this sort of "script" functioning within Carmilla?
2) Angela Bourke suggests that cultures undergoing rapid modernization tend to "polarize" aspects that make up the social landscape: "tradition against law; country against town; men against women" (554). Where do you see these polarizing forces at work in "Carmilla"?
3) On page 571, Angela Bourke suggests that fairy stories are often "coded aggression against women." Where do you see this in the "Carmilla" story?
4) On page 578, Angela Bourke discusses how the fairy story "is rich in resources for the oblique discussion of sexuality." Given the harsh restrictions placed on female sexuality within late-Victorian culture, how does the vampire story allow for certain otherwise "unspeakable"aspects of female sexuality to emerge within narrative? Provide examples from "Carmilla" to help support your answer.
5) Sheridan Le Fanu is perhaps the first author to introduce the character of "the vampire hunter"--a character who would grow to be much more prominent in later vampire stories. The vampire hunter ranges from Van Helsing in Dracula to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Blade. Describe how Le Fanu characterizes the vampire hunter in "Carmilla." In what ways could the Anglo-Irish "folklorist" be a prototype for this character?
By: Lynn Schambow
ReplyDeleteI think that the use of vampires in stories such as Carmilla do allow the unspeakable aspects of life to come out and be seen. In Carmilla we see the female sexuality come out and have feelings toward another girl. It shows the romantic love between these two girls. Carmilla expresses her love to Laura saying “you are mine, you shall be mine, and you and I are one forever” (8). I think that the use of vampires makes this ok because it is seen as unreal. It shows the needs that women wanted to be loved in the Victorian Culture but it was not as expressed as we see it today. There are elements that we see this use of vampires and werewolves to show things that are unspeakable. Like in Vampire Dairies the main character is in love with two brothers that are vampires. Being they are vampires we think it’s ok but if we knew someone that was really in love with two brothers, she would be talked about and seen as strange. In Carmilla the love between the girls is ok to talk about because of the made up vampires. Even today many people have a hard time accepting gay marriage or even just same sex couples being together. Another thing I found interesting about Carmilla was the use of the three things that this girl knows about Carmilla. This is used in Twilight for the three things that Bella knows about Edward which I think it is interesting that they got the idea of this reading.
By: Ashley Kreul
ReplyDeleteI think the idea in Carmilla about the whole sexuality aspect is brought out and shows the unspeakable aspects of homosexuality because it's about a vampire and it gives the sense of unreality. It represents the idea that it can happen because it's a vampire and a human and not two actual humans. It is an unreal representation of what homosexuality actually is and I think that is why his story was able to be published was because there was an immortal vampire in the story, making it that sense of a tale about a vampire. The idea of the sexuality comes out in the actions and communication between Carmilla and Laura. Carmilla gives off this tone and vibe towards Laura that Laura has a hard time deciding what her sexual identity is and her reaction about it is the feeling of a troubled relationship. Sexuality of a lesbionic realationship is viewed off of Carmilla speaking to Laura, The attraction that we see from Carmilla is evident in this quote to Laura: “I have been in love with no one, and never shall, unless it should be with you” (12). She also states that “I live in you; and you would die for me, I love you so” (12). The relationship of Carmilla and Laura, the love is seen as okay because it kind of resembles an unreal relationship because it's between a vampire and a human, kind of like made up, not real. Connecting this with today in some states the ideas of homosexuality happening is still frowned upon, but I feel like in this story it's being hypocritical because in the story it is viewed okay because its between a vampire and a human and is seen as unreal, fake.
Nice catch, Lynn! I never thought of the "three things" as being something one could trace back to "Carmilla." Something to think about for tomorrow is the way in which both stories possess a kind of obsessive, intense love and attraction. I'm also interested in what you're saying about The Vampire Diaries and the idea of "choice." How does Laura lack agency in this story? She seems both "attracted and repulsed" by Carmilla's passionate advances, but in the end it is "the men" who chooses *for* her, slaying Carmilla. Some scholars argue that Laura's death mentioned in the beginning of the story suggests that Laura may have actually become a vampire and "chose" to be with Carmilla. I'm curious what others might think of this line of argument. --Colleen
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