Homosexuality In Carmilla

What does it mean to be a vampire? Well, aside from the usual craving of blood and the avoiding of sunlight, vampires are depicted in many different ways. Despite vampires sharing the same amount of strength as one another, it is often the case that the all-most powerful vampire in the pack is of the male gender. In addition to such misogyny, the typical vampire tale includes the love of an immortal with a human, usually a female. Vampires are also often seen as somewhat of an anti-hero, misunderstood and looking for redemption in any way they find possible. The ideal vampire, it seems, is a brooding, mysterious and insightful man who eventually finds the error in his ways through the love of a woman. These characteristics, no matter how classic …show more content…
In the article, ‘Vamping Up Sex’, Melissa Ames notes that “…the mainstream vampire texts offer up a more diverse vision of sexuality.” In Carmilla, readers are given an unorthodox relationship between Carmilla and Laura. The concept of the brooding vampire taking advantage of the feeble-minded human remains the same in the relationship, yet the gender reversal of the dominant lover provides a new take on the notion. Similarly, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, witches Willow and Tara partake in a lesbian relationship that is more understood than that of Carmilla and Laura’s. Willow and Tara’s relationship seemingly comes out of left field with little to no surprise. Neither Willow nor Tara are vampires, nor are they slayers like Buffy, but they do provide an essential role in the fight against vampires. Fighting on the side of good, Willow and Tara’s relationship is unordinary and unlike any of the others in the series. Both Carmilla and Buffy the Vampire Slayer offer audiences homosexual relationships where they wouldn’t typically be expected: in the vampire