This Gothic novella was published in 1871 and predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by 25 years. The character of Carmilla is the most popular image of a lethal female vampire. The young narrator, Laura, speaks of her strange relationship with Carmilla, a new friend who she invites to stay in her castle in Austria. In this novella, it is not only the vampiric nature of this friend that is dangerous and thrilling but the homosexual feelings and tension between the two girls.
It is very clear in Le Fanu's tale, which Stoker would later read, the progress of the vampire myth. According to folklore, a person becomes a vampire after committing suicide or following his/her death if he/she had been bitten by a vampire while alive. Le Fanu was aware that the vampire was a dead person instead of a demonic spirit. The returned vampire tends to attack his family and loved ones, or a descendant. The vampire seemed to be confined to the area near their grave. Despite having a pale face, the vampire could fit into society without being noticed. The vampire bears two needle like teeth or fangs, most times these are unseen. The bites would usually be on the neck and chest.
Carmilla's activities were always at night and she never stayed in a completely dark room. With superhuman strength, she would transform into animals, mainly a cat instead of a bat or a wolf.
Much like in Dracula (1897) the bite of the vampire didn't turn or kill. The vampire fed off the victim for some time and the victim withered away and died. The vampire would feed from the same person because it needs to drink blood every day and because it feels a certain fascination for the victim. The innocent dead victim would rise from the grave as a new vampire.
The character of Carmilla is undoubtedly inspired by the 17th century countess Bathory who was notorious for torturing young girls and bathing in their blood to rejuvenate herself. The sexual tension and themes in the novella are seen as the work of an evil being to Victorian society's eyes.
This novella, where evil is vanquished by good, is almost scandalous in a country where homosexuality is seen as a crime.
Many readers and scholars have discussed the homosexual theme in this novella, especially when discussing the relationship between Carmilla and Laura. In the Gothic stories of the time authors took the liberty of portraying sexual themes in ways that would be forbidden then. For example, Carmilla begins her attack on Laura by first seducing her, putting her arms around Laura's neck, rubbing her cheek on Laura's cheek and speaking soft seductive words.Le Fanu succeeded in satisfying the perverse desires of readers while respecting certain moral standards of the time.
Earlier authors would write about dangerous female vampires like the Lamia of Greek Myth who would specifically attack males, Carmilla was introduced to Gothic literature as the revenant vampire.
Carmilla undoubtedly influenced Stoker's presentation of the vampire and especially female vampires in his novel. This is evident when Jonathan Harker is attacked by Dracula's brides early in the novel. Interestingly the female vampires in Stoker's novel only choose male victims. The influence is also evident in the short story 'Dracula's Guest', the deleted chapter of Stoker's great novel.
According to Auerbach, Carmilla is such an iconic story and character because:
‘Carmilla works as a gothic horror story because her victims
are portrayed as succumbing to a perverse and unholy temptation that has severe
metaphysical consequences for them.’
Auerbach, Nina (1995). Our Vampires, Ourselves. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press. p. 42.
It can be seen as a lesbian vampire story and now there are countless films, TV shows and books with similar characters like Carmilla.
For more on Homosexual vampires go read the article 'Sexuality, Homosexuality and sexual predation in the world of vampires'.
Carmilla attacking the General Speilsdorf's niece.
Dracula's brides
References:
. Auerbach, Nina (1995). Our Vampires, Ourselves. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 42.
. Melton, Gordon J. (2010) The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead. Visible Ink Press
. Marigny, Jean (2010) Sang Pour Sang: Le Reveil des Vampires. Découvertes Gallimard
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ReplyDeleteI've read many of the scholars you mention, but I am about to commit a rank heresy, and disagree with all of them. In my opinion, CARMILLA is not about lesbians.
ReplyDeleteWhy Carmilla is not About Lesbians:
(1) The Victorians had no concept of “lesbianism” (by any name) that matches anything portrayed in “Carmilla”. There was no concept of lesbianism as a status or identity, and thus there was no embarrassment or intolerance at most female-to-female affection. Not only was "homosexuality" not a crime, it was not even in the dictionary. "Sodomy" was a crime, to be sure, but no such acts occur in Carmilla.
(2) The only way Laura can conceive of one girl being sexually attracted to another girl, is one of the girls were a disguised boy. She, at least, is not lesbian.
(3) When Carmilla’s mask slips, Laura finds her outbursts to be hateful, unpleasant, and devoid of any positive aspect. Laura concludes (correctly) that it is not the “passion of a lover”.
(4) The weirdly pleasant feelings Laura associates with Carmilla’s touch are numbing, sedative and paralytic in nature, like a drug. This is the opposite of erotic stimulation. It's presumably the same vampiric superpower she uses to paralyze the General's hand.
(5) Laura and Carmilla have clearly never groped each other’s erogenous zones, as proven by Laura’s speculation that Carmilla might be a disguised boy; and by Laura’s belief that Carmilla’s “passion” is not erotic.
(6) “Carmilla” is a mystery. “She’s a vampire” is the solution to the mystery. This fully explains her weird “passion”. She is a predator who wants to devour and kill Laura. Any quasi-resemblance to erotic love is merely a red herring and backhanded clue to the final revelations. Riddle me this: What resembles erotic love but is not erotic love? Answer: The love of a wolf for a juicy rabbit; or a cat for a fat mouse; or a hungry man for a nice juicy steak. Carmilla is not horny. She's hungry.
(7) Le Fanu's fiction is full of very affectionate female-to-female relationships, which Le Fanu evidently regards as perfectly innocent. The alien element in Carmilla's friendship is what is ultimately exposed as vampirism.
Why Modern Readers Think “Carmilla” is About Lesbians
(1) They are told it is about lesbians before they start reading it.
(2) They associate girls hugging & kissing with “lesbianism” even if no sex acts occur (an idea alien to the Victorians).
(3) When they see the words “passion”, “lust”, "romance", etc. they think they have something to do with erotic desire. Le Fanu, however, has a long history of using these words in non-sexual ways, according to their older meanings.
(4) They start reading already knowing Carmilla is a vampire and forget that Laura is clueless. When Laura wonders what Carmilla’s weird “passion” could be, they ignore the correct solution (vampiric hunger for her blood and her life) because it is too obvious to them.
(5) They are used to the modern “sexy vampire” trope.
(6) When they see the word “breast”, they think “boobs”; whereas in Carmilla it refers to the area of the upper chest/lower throat.
(7) They mistake the symptoms of blood loss for those of erotic excitement.
(8) They take the quasi-erotic red herring at face value, & when Laura rejects it, they think she's being naive.
(9) They do not believe in vampires, but they do believe in lesbians. If its not about lesbians, academics can't take it seriously.
(10) Eroticism is in the eye of the beholder.
I suppose one could agree that the story is not LITERALLY about lesbians, but still argue that that there is a double meaning, and that surface explanation (vampirism) is a metaphor for lesbianism. My problem with this is that everything we know about Le Fanu, outside of Carmilla, suggests that Le Fanu had a genuine interests in ghosts, ghouls, folklore and spooky stories, and no discernible interest in lesbianism.
Thank you for your comments, very enlightening.
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