Carmilla

Sheridan le Fanu’s Carmilla there happens to be three different aspects of a person’s personality that the three main characters take up. Which happen to be the id, the ego and the superego. Carmilla as the id, Laura as the ego, and Laura’s father as the superego. This shows us even through fiction, Freud’s ideas of how a person’s personality is made up can still be applied to literature. The id. The id works directly with the ego sometimes even referred to as the id-ego to achieve the id’s selfish desires and wants. We can see the id emerge when a baby is born. Not caring about any consequences that come with any actions the baby takes. Only worrying about basic survival. After the id comes the ego. The ego is basically the mediator between the id’s selfish desires and the world’s set of rules, but still ultimately think that everything is alright if it doesn’t end up hurting itself or the id. The superego is the last part to be formed. Only because of parent’s punishments and good merits toward the child. The superego’s job is to give the ego a different type of advice to the ego. One that has moral righteousness and stop impulsive behaviors caused by the id. Think of the id as the devil on your left shoulder wanting you to go suck…

who they wish to focus their energy on. Sheridan Le Fanu’s vampire Carmilla shows likeness too Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s vampire Geraldine at the same time having different personal motives of their own. Carmilla with all her likenesses to Geraldine shows more empathy to Laura than Geraldine does for Christabel. With a better understanding of Carmilla and Geraldine similarities the differences between the two illuminate. With what seems like an identical story about a female vampire and her…

In the nineteenth century, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s texts present varying circumstances of inexplicable terrors situated in Gothic tradition to explore the political and social ideals fundamentally inherent in the Victorian age, particularly surrounding imperialism and sexuality. However, Le Fanu’s method of exploring and critiquing Victorian ideology of imperialism and sexuality are cleverly concealed under the prevalent supernatural elements present in his works. This is a concept that is…

Darkness the Vampire’s Double: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla Darkness in Le Fanu's Carmilla serves as its own monster since it is a representation of negativity, mystery, and fear. Darkness like the vampire creates an unsettling sensation for the narrative because it allows the uncanny to manifest and generate feelings of uncertainty and terror. For the main protagonist Laura, the overwhelming experience of darkness places the character in a state of distress which creates problems for…

The first object of his desire is an effigy of the Virgin Mary that he often adores in sexual terms. Matilda, who initially disguises herself as a man but reveals herself to look exactly like the effigy, becomes the object of the monk’s desires and awakens his transgressive passions. Matilda’s doubling with the beautiful Virgin Mary unveils the illuminating differences between one and the other: whereas the effigy represents a woman that is beautiful, pure, and virginal, Matilda is unveiled as a…

character of Carmilla can be viewed as le fanu’s effort to embody the ideals of his society with regards to female sexuality and female emancipation and its consequences. This exploration of homosexuality was both controversial and unprecedented in English literature. Female sexuality was seldom presented in literature of the Victorian era. It was unparalleled that women were referred to as sexual beings, and the term homosexuality…

During the late 19th century, when the short story Carmilla was published, the ideology and the meaning of being a woman were different than those of today. Women of that time period were viewed as inferior to their male counterparts. They were given no power of their own, and were required to rely solely on the men in their lives. J. Sheridan Le Fanu was clearly opposed to the status quo by the themes he presented in Carmilla. In the story, Carmilla pushes the set gender boundaries by taking on…

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…

light on female sexuality. Carmilla although seemingly human is not. Because of this she is able to draw people in and deceive them. This is exactly what she had done with Laura. Carmilla has enough strength to over power Laura if she wanted to, but instead she choices to not only befriend her, but to form a strong relationship. The question is why? Why does Carmilla take the time to get close to Laura. Mainly it’s for sport, but I also believe that it’s because Carmilla wants companionship even…

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu - Carmilla Laura, the narrator in Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s novella Carmilla, fits into the appearance of a typical female victim in vampire literature. Long before she meets the titular character, she had a dream or rather a nightmare about a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Carmilla, who sang her fangs into the maiden’s body. Despite the fear, she helps the woman after the accident and invites her in. Laura easily and without much thought happens to trust…