Carmilla

            Considering the strong gender separation of nineteenth century society, it feels like an almost pragmatic choice on the part of Carmilla to have a female victim instead of a male victim.  Unlike Polidori's vampire, Lord Ruthven, whose exploits with the opposite sex are very noticeable and would undoubtedly leave quite a clear trail leading to him, Carmilla is more able to deftly navigate from one victim to another without raising as much suspicion.

            Carmilla and Laura spend an enormous amount of time in each other's company without the need of anyone chaperoning, and without raising any misgivings because of the gender pairing.  The strength of their attachment and proximity is taken as quite ordinary, even when Laura begins ailing.  It is difficult to say, since we cannot know the full extent of what Laura's father suspected after the doctor's initial examination of Laura, other than he planned an outing to the Karnstein ruins, whether or not Carmilla was even suspected, or if she would have been apprehended in time if it weren't for General Spielsdorf's incredibly fortuitous intervention.  It seems very likely that without his knowledge of Carmilla's identity and nature, that Laura's father would not have suspected his young and beautiful guest before it was too late.

            All this, I believe, adds to the horror of the tale, since it's our commonality with the main character, as well as the plausibility of the circumstances that disturbs us.  Any woman of the period could relate with Laura's loneliness (at least to some extent) and any man with female relations could understand the desires of Laura's father, to provide her with companionship, to keep her from isolation by allowing this highly unusual visitor to stay with them.  It also adds to the horror of Carmilla's story that there is no real error on the part of the main character, and thus no way of preventing the events from occurring.  Laura, on all accounts, acted as a moral and well-bred lady should, she wasn't, like one of Lord Ruthven's victims, lured into a midnight tryst, or showing any lacking of character.  She and her father show Carmilla nothing but kindness and hospitality and they are punished for it.  Where a story like Polidori's may be read as a cautionary tale for young women, Le Fanu has provided a tale more terrifying, one that he gives the reader no solid insight on how avoid become a like victim.