80 likes | 547 Views
Victorian Era Women. Great change of industrial movements, cultural renovations, and scientific progress Women centered around the home Two types of women Working/Middle class Elite class. Le Fanu’s representation. Carmilla and Laura both represent the elite class of women
E N D
Victorian Era Women • Great change of industrial movements, cultural renovations, and scientific progress • Women centered around the home • Two types of women • Working/Middle class • Elite class
Le Fanu’s representation • Carmilla and Laura both represent the elite class of women • Carmilla utilizes her power to her advantage • Laura stays repressed
Victim and Victimizer • Carmilla is the Victimizer • Laura is the Victim
Dominance • 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
Sexual Repression • 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
Le Fanu’s use of women • 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