According to lore, vampires possess a siren-like quality
that entrances and lures in their prey.
Carmilla neither sparkles in the sunlight nor has a horde of adolescent
girls harboring an unhealthy obsession with her really great hair. Still, the aforementioned oupire successfully attracts her prey
with every facet of her murderous character.
A great emphasis is placed throughout Carmilla on her stunning physical features—“beautiful” being the
choice adjective. An all-surpassing
beauty is a prevalent characteristic of vampires in this novella, pop culture
(Who wouldn’t follow David Boreanaz into the pits of Avernus?), and
mythology. Laura, Carmilla’s narrator, describes the vampire as “the most beautiful
creature [she] had ever seen”. Le Fanu
even draws a parallel between history’s most infamous seductress and symbol of
beauty, Cleopatra, through Carmilla’s room décor.
The narrator states that Carmilla, “…interested and won me;
she was so beautiful and so indescribably engaging.” She possesses a certain grace and whit that
effortlessly wins the adoration and trust of everyone unfortunate enough to
cross her path. The level of trust she
gains is furthered by the familiarity with which she treats her quarry. She convinces her future victim that she is a
kindred spirit and freely displays physical affection nearly to the point of
eroticism, yet with enough innocence to assuage any discomfort.
Carmilla methodically chooses each of her victims and
Laura’s situation makes her the perfect prey.
The narrator grew up an only child raised solely by her father. She lives a sheltered and solitary existence,
having been “…studiously kept in ignorance of ghost stories, of fairy tales,
and of all such lore…” and continually references her secluded life. The narrator’s naivety does not afford her the background or knowledge of the world that might arouse her suspicion of Carmilla’s
motives. She is also in no position to
turn down a friend and is so desperately lonely that she immediately dismisses
any ambivalent notions. Le Fanu suggests
Mlle Rheinfeldt’s similar disposition left her susceptible to the vampire’s
advances as well.
Carmilla’s charm in any century under any one of her
pseudonyms would be difficult for even a Winchester brother to deny. The hapless young women of Le Fanu’s novella stood
little chance of resisting the vampire’s hunt.
Each woman fell into Carmilla’s trap, exactly as she knew they would.
I like your consideration of Laura's sheltered life as a reason why she fell for Carmilla. But even the more worldly men don't suspect her until it's too late -- or rather, people are intermittently uneasy but then relax their guard. What's up with that?
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