Who or What is the Vampire? My Analysis of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla
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The
vampire is the deviant being who questions society, breaks society’s norms,
asks what is socially acceptable, controls his/her victims emotionally and
psychologically, “marks” his/her victims and often challenges women’s purity
and heteronormativity (“the assumption that heterosexuality is natural, normal,
and socially appropriate. It becomes the standard by which other sexual
practices are deemed to be deviant”) (Mann, p. 416). The title character of
J.S. LeFanu’s story, Carmilla, commits
the deviant acts of beginning a lesbian relationship with her victims,
performing sexual behavior, and intimately draining her victims of their health
along with their blood throughout the story. Carmilla enters the lives of two
young motherless girls of marriage age, Bertha Rheinfeldt and Laura. Laura, the
story’s narrator, slowly deteriorates in her relationship with Carmilla.
The
Prologue introduces the story as a Narrative written to a medical therapist.
The reader is led to assume that the Narrative is written from an asylum, by
Laura. The ambiguity of the Narrative brings accuracy into question along with
Laura’s “Vampirism” psychosis. Laura
spends the rest of her life thinking about Carmilla and missing her. “It was
long before the terror of recent events subsided; and to this hour the image of
Carmilla returns to memory with ambiguous alternations-sometimes the playful,
languid, beautiful girl; sometimes the writhing fiend I saw in the ruined
church; and often a reverie I have started, fancying I heard the light step of
Carmilla at the drawing-room door” (LeFanu, p. 339).
Carmilla
first enters Laura’s life in a dream when Laura is only six years old. “The
first occurrence in my existence, which produced a terrible impression upon my
mind, which, in fact, never has been effaced, was one of the very earliest
incidents of my life which I can recollect” (p. 276). Even though Laura was
alone in her bedroom she was not afraid, due to being “studiously kept in
ignorance of ghost stories, of fairy tales, and of all such lore as makes us
cover up our heads when the door creaks suddenly” (p. 277). The “young lady”
who appears caresses Laura and lulls her to sleep (p. 277). Although only a
child, this dream is Laura’s first sexual experience, fear and pain of two
needles running into her breast; closer to the source of her blood.
Although
Laura is at the age to be married (eighteen), she has been sheltered by her
father-she has never attended parties or balls to meet eligible suitors.
Marriage was very important in this time period. She lives in a rural area and
does not have any friends; none of the servants speak the same language. The
arrival of the mysterious stranger (Carmilla) conveniently occurs after Laura’s
father received a letter from the General with news of his ward, Bertha, dead;
after letting a stranger in his home as a companion for Bertha. “The fiend who
betrayed our infatuated hospitality has done it all” (p. 280). Carmilla’s
“mother” claims that Carmilla is sickly and weak; Laura’s father offers to let
Carmilla stay (he either wants a companion for his daughter or himself) without
noticing the “mother’s” glances, thinking about the General’s letter or doing
research on the family; chivalry and the desire to appease his daughter have
blocked his judgment.
Carmilla
gains sympathy and wins over Laura, her father and the servants by appearing to
be sick and innocent. Innocence and weakness in women appeal to chivalry. Carmilla
telling the reverse dream to Laura (Carmilla at age six and Laura the young
lady) and omitting the puncture marks along with her beauty and engagement win
over Laura. Laura ignores the “ambiguous feeling” of repulsion (p. 289). This
is the beginning of the cycle of the vampire and another step in Carmilla’s
claim of Laura.
Carmilla,
although beautiful, has “particulars which did not please” Laura (p. 290). Carmilla
gives Laura very vague details about her past, name and family. Carmilla has “a
coldness, beyond her years, in her smiling melancholy persistent refusal to
afford me the least ray of light” (p. 291). Carmilla’s vagueness, criticism,
promises and mysteriousness keeps Laura in her grasp. Carmilla became like a
drug-deadly, but addicting.
Carmilla,
like a drug, takes over Laura’s life. Prior to Camilla’s exposure and arrival,
Laura is a lonely, but healthy and innocent girl. Her first dream of Carmilla
is her first experience of fear. The morning after the dream, she was in a
“state of terror, and could not bear to be left alone, daylight though it was,
for a moment” (p. 277). “I knew the visit of the strange woman was not a dream; and I was awfully frightened” (p. 278). The first
stage of Laura’s psychological health deteriorating along with physical
attraction to the mysterious young woman was a success for Carmilla.
While
Carmilla is living with Laura, Laura’s desire for a companion overpowers her
feelings of repulsion and fear towards Carmilla and her deteriorating health. Carmilla
is the first female that (Laura believes) is her age and first friend. Laura
seems to be willing to put up with Carmilla’s behavior and slowly losing her
life to not be lonely again. The General’s story of Millarca, Carmilla’s attack
in the chapel with Laura as a witness and the General’s warning, “that is
Millarca. That is the same person who long ago was Mircalla, Countess Karnstein.
Depart from this accursed ground, my poor child, as quickly as you can. Drive
to the clergyman’s house, and stay there till we come. Begone! May you never
behold Carmilla more; you will not find her here,” only lead Laura to being
unfazed and looking for her “friend,” Carmilla, after the disappearance (p.
333).
Carmilla’s
absence results in ending Laura’s nightmares. “The disappearance of Carmilla
was followed by the discontinuance of my nightly sufferings” (p.335). Although
Laura’s health began improving, the vampire superstitions leading to Carmilla have
Laura not wanting to give her up; like a drug. Carmilla remains in control of
Laura-even after her death. Years after her “deliverance” continued to make her
“days and nights dreadful, and solitude insupportably terrific” (p. 336).
Carmilla’s
vampiric embraces with the mysterious moods of taking Laura’s life led Laura to
feel fear and repulsion. Carmilla would draw Laura cheek to cheek and whisper
in her ear, “Dearest, your little heart is wounded; think me not cruel because
I obey the irresistible law of my strength and weakness; if your dear heart is
wounded, mild wild heart bleeds with yours. In the rapture of my enormous
humiliation I live in your warm life and you shall die-die, sweetly die-into
mine. I cannot help it; as I draw near to you, you, in turn, will draw near to
others, and learn the rapture of that cruelty, which yet is love; so, for a
while, seek to know no more of me and mine, but trust me will all your loving
spirit” (p.291). Laura would be lulled into a trance-one power of vampires.
Homosexuality
is unacceptable and often unheard of in this era. Carmilla taking Laura’s hand
and holding it with pressure led to blushing, burning eyes and quick breathing
that led to Carmilla’s dress to rise and fall with unrestrained breathing. This
act was of the passion of a lover. Carmilla is the dominating lover. “You are
mine, you shall be mine, and you and
I are one forever” (p. 292). Heteronormativity frowns upon lesbian lovers;
Carmilla defies women’s innocence and purity as an openly sexual being.
Carmilla
begins an intimate relationship with Laura while Laura is at the age of having
sexual feelings. Along with the sensual trances, Carmilla consuming Laura’s
blood is an act of intimacy. Carmilla’s erotic touch and kisses while Laura is
“dreaming” lead to the piercing of Laura’s flesh. In one scene, Carmilla kisses
Laura and tells her, “I have been in love with no one, and never shall, unless
it should be to you I live in you; and you would die for me, I love you so” (p.
300). Both women’s true emotions are revealed; Carmilla ignores the fact that
two women intimately loving each other is wrong in this era’s society. “But to
die as lovers may-to die together, so that they may live together. Girls are
caterpillars while they live in the world, to be finally butterflies when the
summer comes” (p.297).
Carmilla
begins feeding on Laura’s physical, emotional and psychological health as Laura
begins having “dreams.” Even though Laura has picked up Carmilla’s habit of
locking her door (nervousness is contagious), a woman’s voice, mysterious
women, creepy eyes are a few of the “vague and strange sensations” that lead to
exhaustion, mental toil and danger (p.307). The sensation of the woman’s voice
and a hand caressing Laura’s cheek and neck and eventually reaching her throat
resulted in fear and unconsciousness. Laura’s sufferings lead her to grow pale,
weak, darkened and enlarged eyes and sleepiness. Laura is slowly dying just as
Carmilla’s other victims.
Vampirism
leads to the end of Laura’s life. Carmilla’s deviant actions of beginning a
lesbian relationship with an innocent, naïve motherless young woman, exposing
Laura to sexuality and consuming her life, psychological and emotional health
and blood disrupt what is socially acceptable. Carmilla transforms Laura into
an emotionally and psychologically unstable woman due to vampiric consumption. Rather than dying in peace, Laura fixates the
remainder of her life on Carmilla through fear and desire. Carmilla consumes
Laura-even in death.
Citations
LeFanu, J.S. (1964). Carmilla. In E.F. Bleiler (Ed.), Best Ghost Stories of J.S. LeFanu (pp.
274- 339). New York, NY: Dover
Publications, Inc.
Mann, S.A. (2012). Doing
Feminist Theory: From Modernity to Postmodernity. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc.
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