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I am not sure as to what extend and purpose that Le Fanu presents sexuality in Carmilla. Clearly on the surface, the novel is very provocative (in regards to the time it was written). La Fanu presents a very sexual vampire story with vivid descriptions of the female form. After doing some research, it seems that during the Victorian period, female sexuality and eroticism were only presented in literature in very subtle ways (if rarely). Le Fanu definitely pushed the envelope in being taboo with Carmilla. Probably the only way he got away with it (from critics) is structuring it as a vampire tale. One topic that comes to light is an undertone of lesbianism and female sexuality. This can been seen through the seductive actions of Carmilla (or as we find out really is Mircalla the Countess Karnstein) and the responses and reactions of Laura.
“She used to place her pretty arms about my neck, draw me to her, and laying her cheek to mine, murmur with her lips near my 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, my 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 your 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 with all your loving spirit...in these mysterious moods I did not like her. I experienced a strange tumultuous excitement that was pleasurable, ever and anon, mingled with a vague sense of fear and disgust. I had no distinct thoughts about her while such scenes lasted, but I was conscious of a love growing into adoration, and also of abhorrence. This I know is paradox, but I can make no other attempt to explain the feeling” (Carmilla ch. 4).
Especially through Laura's reaction she shows that her sexual identity is “troubled”. Another example comes from the same chapter:
“Sometimes after an hour of apathy, my strange and beautiful companion would take my hand and hold it with a fond pressure, renewed again and again; blushing softly, gazing in my face with languid and burning eyes, and breathing so fast that her dress rose and fell with the tumultuous respiration. It was like the ardour of a lover; it embarrassed me; it was hateful and yet over-powering; and with gloating eyes she drew me to her, and her hot lips travelled along my cheek in kisses; and she would whisper, almost in sobs, “You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever.” Then she has thrown herself back in her chair, with her small hands over her eyes, leaving me trembling” (Carmilla ch. 4).
Although Carmilla has these homoerotic undertones, I don't think that Le Fanu is being provocative in presenting them to merely draw attention to the topic but free the current society from sexual repression. I think more so he uses this as a way to comment and play with imposed gender roles. I will try to address modes of sexuality, and why identity is presented by Le Fanu to be “queered” or “troubled”.
Clearly, the most dominant and strongest character in the story is Carmilla. She seems to encompass many masculine and independent traits of strength that reflect the idea that women are not always subject and submissive to a patriarchy of male dominance. Also, there is a theme in the story that men are submissive and subject to the desirers of the female characters. Both Laura's father and the General find that they can not refuse the wishes of their daughter or niece and the request to house Carmilla. It is because of this that they make their family and girls vulnerable to the vampire. Another example of female dominance is what Laura says before first describing her dream, “My gouvernantes had just so much control over me as you might conjecture such sage persons would have in the case of a rather spoiled girl, whose only parent allowed her pretty nearly her own way in everything” (Carmilla ch.1 ) By having a female vampire, Le Fanu could be portraying his society's idea (or portrayal) of the negative consequences that would come if women were allowed to be more independent and more educated.
I haven't determined whether Le Fanu is portraying the idea of feminism in a positive or negative way. On one hand, by having the vampire as a female, he could be mocking his society's ideas of the harm that more independent and liberated women would bring. On the other, Carmilla is a villain and her (as well as Laura and the General's niece) power in imposing will over men can be seen as a negative portrayal of women's rights as well. Carmilla is also deceptive and manipulative in her independence. However, by making Carmilla a vampire, Le Fanu takes away her humanness. By doing this, he could also also be commenting that female empowerment and sexuality should not be seen as a threat or danger in real society. I could not come to a conclusion about Le Fanu's intentions.
I realize that explanations may unfold when further questioning what Carmilla might represent in a social, political, and economic sense in Ireland. The vampire being used as a metaphor in an Irish context also presents some interesting ideas. I would have liked to go on and expand this post but hopefully others will consider how Carmilla reflects The Irish Famine of 1845, Young Ireland and Irish Confederacy, and also the terrible civil rights that Roman Catholics had leading to the Catholic Emancipation and aftermath. I have a feeling Carmilla has something to do with the British sucking the life out of the Irish during the famine with its uncaring poor response to the crisis.
Some informative sites I found about these topics are:
www.ohio.edu/chastain/rz/youngire.htm
www.victorianweb.org/history/emancipation2.html
www.nde.state.ne.us/SS/Irish/Irish_pf.html
Nice post. I like what you said about Le Fanu and feminism. You write, "By making Carmilla a vampire, Le Fanu takes away her humanness. By doing this, he could also also be commenting that female empowerment and sexuality should not be seen as a threat or danger in real society." I think it's important to consider what the figure of the vampire allows us, as readers, to *safely* explore. Because Carmilla is a "monster," her aggression and more "male" characteristics are "sanctioned" in that form. It allows Victorian readers to play with ideas of female empowerment and sexuality without really having to commit to it. Consider Carmilla's literary "cousin" Dracula and the uber-Victorian female characters who can "play" at being assertive and sexual in their vampire form. As readers, we get to play with them! What I like about Carmilla is that instead of the nice happily ever after ending in Dracula, the ending remains a lot more open and nebulous.
ReplyDeleteHi Nathan,
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure if I have commented on any of your posts before but I have definitely kept up with what you have posted. I think your perception of Carmilla is really interesting. I didn’t really comment that much on the gender roles portrayed in the story so I’m glad that you developed an investigation. Like you said, the homosexuality presented in Carmilla was very proactive for its time. I’m not sure what message Le Fanu was trying to bring across by incorporating this type of relationship into the novel. In your post you say, “I don't think that Le Fanu is being provocative in presenting them to merely draw attention to the topic but free the current society from sexual repression. I think more so he uses this as a way to comment and play with imposed gender roles.” I think this is a very interesting observation. You describe Carmilla has having this sort of domineering quality and very manipulative. What kind of symbolism could Le Fanu be trying to portray here. Some other people have compared this trait to England, stating that Carmilla represented England because she had so much pull and control over Laura. I’m with you though, I’m not sure if Le Fanu is portraying the idea of feminism in a positive or a negative way. Was this a big movement during this time? I found it kind of odd that the men in this novel had somewhat of a submissive quality. It was almost as if Laura’s father was intimidated by Carmilla. When she disappeared from her bedroom, instead of questioning her motives he made up an elaborate excuse for her stating that she “must have sleptwalked”
“Well, what has happened is this. You got up in your sleep, unlocked the door, not leaving the key, as usual, in the lock, but taking it out and locking it on the outside; you again took the key out, and carried it away with you to some one of the five-and-twenty rooms on this floor, or perhaps upstairs or downstairs. There are so many rooms and closets,so much heavy furniture, and such accumulations of lumber, that it would require a week to search this old house thoroughly. Do you see, now, what I mean?” (Ch. 8)
Why was he so quick to defend her? Thanks for sharing your thoughts. This is all very interesting to ponder!
So glad to have read your post, because while I also picked up on the sexual tones I didn't at all take this story as one that picks at feminism and makes it safe. I also liked that you discussed the ambiguity of the novel, especially with this quote " haven't determined whether Le Fanu is portraying the idea of feminism in a positive or negative way. On one hand, by having the vampire as a female, he could be mocking his society's ideas of the harm that more independent and liberated women would bring. On the other, Carmilla is a villain and her (as well as Laura and the General's niece) power in imposing will over men can be seen as a negative portrayal of women's rights as well. Carmilla is also deceptive and manipulative in her independence. However, by making Carmilla a vampire, Le Fanu takes away her humanness. By doing this, he could also also be commenting that female empowerment and sexuality should not be seen as a threat or danger in real society. I could not come to a conclusion about Le Fanu's intentions."
ReplyDeleteWhat really struck me about that was your inability to reach a conclusion and this did two things for me- I was able to go back and re-read passages with a different perspective, and I like that this vampire tale was so open-ended. It's like Le Fanu knew there was lots of metaphor and sexual and political fun to be had with a Victorian novel, and it's up to the reader to decipher the code.
As for good and bad, I don't necessarily think his portrayal of "feminism" as we understand it today was negative. I think a lot of these themes of female empowerment and sexuality weren't themes that really arose then you know? I don't think I explained the correctly... But if I were to choose a side, I would say that the role of Carmilla is more negative. While she is the main character and powerhouse of the novel, she possesses traits that society normally doesn't like about women- dramatic, needy, manipulative, secretive, emotionally demanding. But this is my question, do novels portray male vampires the same?
Also, just for my personal reading- where did you locate the information about Victorian attitudes?
Hey Nathan,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. I, like Lucy, didn't get into the gender rolls in Carmilla. Not because I didn't want to, but because I was apparently too busy ranting about other things, as usual...
Anyway, I thought your perspectives on the sexuality in this book were very intriguing. I at first strongly felt that the book was leaning towards homosexuality, but after reading your post as well as a Drea's and a few others, I'm not completely sure it was homosexuality or more just an exploration of female sexuality.
I thought your comments, "Although Carmilla has these homoerotic undertones, I don't think that Le Fanu is being provocative in presenting them to merely draw attention to the topic but free the current society from sexual repression. I think more so he uses this as a way to comment and play with imposed gender roles" were very intriguing. I find it interesting that during the Victorian Era, sexuality was so "taboo", yet there was a huge focus placed on it during this time. Albeit, it was portrayed in a negative light, so it is indeed interesting that Le Fanu chose to discuss or describe such a topic in his book. However, perhaps he wasn't so much in "favor" of sexual freedom but instead further condemning Carmilla for her "immoral" behavior and showing what a "heathen" she was.
Either way another quote that I found interesting was from Drea's blog. She stated, "clearly the love and desire was so animalistic". I thought this quote was very fitting since Carmilla essentially "stalked" Laura as though she were her prey and perhaps it's with that animal instinct that her fascination for Laura played out in what appeared a sexual fashion, like a Lion or Cat playing with it's "catch" before it finishes it off. After all, Le Fanu offers this description in one of Laura's "nightmares".
"I saw something moving round the foot of the bed, which at first I could not accurately distinguish. But I soon saw that it was a sooty-black animal that resembled a monstrous cat. It appeared to me about four or five feet long for it measured fully the length of the hearthrug as it passed over it; and it continued to-ing and fro-ing with the lithe, sinister restlessness of a beast in a cage."
Hey Nathan,
ReplyDeleteI, like you, was very surprised when I first started reading about the relationship between Carmilla and Laura. I cannot help but agree with you that if it were not for the vampire cover, this novel would not have been taken to as lightly as it was. Having been written in the time that it was, it came as a complete shock that something of this nature could by written, and published for that matter in the time that it had, bringing one to wonder upon the real motives behind such a provocative piece of writing.
It looks like we both picked up on the submissive behavior of the men in the novel, although I have to hand it to you, you took it a step further and analyzed feminism and the meaning behind Le Fanu placing the female characters in such dominant roles. I found it very interesting how there seemed to be a role reversal between the males and females, the females being so controlling and manipulative, while the men acted upon every whim of the women in their care. I have to agree with you, although it is very clear that the roles of the men and women were switched in the novel, I still find the meaning behind it ambiguous. Was Le Fanu trying to portray feminism in a positive or negative light?
To answer Drea’s question on one of your comments, I do not think that male vampires are portrayed in the same way as female vampires. Male vampires are usually a lot more aggressive, going for the kill instead of taking days, if not weeks to toy with their victim while slowly draining them, like in the case of Carmilla. While male vampires are usually seen as very strong, Carmilla was portrayed as weak and having poor health, not being able to walk more than a couple of steps without taking a break. She was also easily frightened, “Tell me nothing about ghosts. I shan’t sleep to-night if you do,” (Ch. 4) while male vampires are portrayed as being fearless and bold.
I really enjoyed reading your blog, and I hope that you have fun reading Dorian Gray, although I do not think that you will be finding as many feminist themes in it!
Hi Third Eye! This is actually the first post I've read of yours, and I was really impressed with your insightfulness. Well done, sir.
ReplyDeleteI did not put a lot of energy into deciphering the meaning of Carmilla's sexuality in this story, or in the homosexual nature of the relationship between her and Laura. Without having investigated too deeply into the attitudes towards sexuality during this historical era, I was drawn to the conclusion that Carmilla's sexuality was intended as an indictment of homosexuality - that it was evil and/or unnatural, thus making it perfectly normal that a vampire should exhibit such desires and behavior. Again, this opinion is not necessarily informed by any factual, historical insight ... in fact, it could just be an expression of my interpretation of our own culture's sexual mores.
Anyways, thanks for providing lots of food for thought on what I think was a great little book. Peace!
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ReplyDelete