Great change of industrial movements, cultural renovations, and scientific progress Women centered around the home Two types of women Working/Middle class Elite class

Carmilla and Laura both represent the elite class of women Carmilla utilizes her power to her advantage Laura stays repressed

Carmilla is the Victimizer Laura is the Victim

Carmilla over Laura Scene of the funeral Nightmare scenes Sucking of Laura’s blood Underlying themes that Laura actually dominates Carmilla Laura controls one thing: love Keeps Carmilla in the schloss Carmilla locks herself in her room Revealing of facts and feelings

Victorian women were trained to be sexually repressed Couldn’t even write about sex during the time Le Fanu used vampires to symbolize sex and stab at Victorian society’s repression of sex Freudian theory of sexual repression

Why did Le Fanu use women so prevalently in “Carmilla”? He recognized the power of manipulation His marriage was in shambles Mother in law knew it was a bad marriage Wrote letters to Sheridan about its negative impact Sheridan felt victimized like he did something wrong after the death of his wife Relates it to the oppressed groups of women His mother was very powerful in the communities