Claudia And Carmilla Analysis

The Vampire and Its Appearance

In literature, vampires are always hiding in plain sight by living among humans all while hiding the fact that they feed on blood. So how is it that no one realize that their neighbors only come out at night? By disguising themselves with the use of costumes and performance, vampires such as Lestat and Carmilla are able to infiltrate human society and prey from within. Whenever it is to fit in or to help them prey by dressing up, acting a certain way or living in a proper house, vampires are able to survive. But sometimes they don't need to act. Both Claudia and Carmilla simply use their venerable appearance to get close to their victims.

If there's one thing that vampires across literature have in

common is that they drink human blood. They are also often seen as beautiful creatures that hypnotise humans using just their looks alone, just as Louis was enchanted by Lestat at first (Rice, 17) and Laura keeps pointing out that Carmilla is beautiful through the story. They are also blessed with supernatural strength and speed yet both Carmilla and Claudia use a kind of performance to feed on people. Carmilla infiltrates her victims homes by staging scenes, such as a carriage accident or even lies her way in such as she did at the costume ball. She then formed a friendship with her victims which allowed her to stay for an extended period of time with them and was able to feed off of them. Also Carmilla is introduced to us while she is unconscious. So instead of appearing dangerous or menacing she seems like the typical damsel, depending on the care of others. (Nixon). It was mostly thanks to her appearance as a girl in Laura's age that she was able to get to her as she appeared as the perfect companion for her. Claudia used her appearance to her advantage too. As a five year old girl she was able to feign distress and beg for help. When someone inevitably came to help she would exploit their kindness and feed off of her helper.

It's made very clear that appearances are important for Lestat.

He makes Louis and himself pretend to eat when in the presence of his blind father and spends a lot of money on the decor in his house. After all coming off as rich makes it easier for him to get closer to his victims as people seem to be more trusting with those who are richly dressed. He also owned a box in the French Opera House or the Theatre Orleans. While Lestat claimed it was because he loved Shakespeare but Louis remarked that Lestat seemed to sleep through most the performances and only woke up when it came to seduce a lady and later kill her. Carmilla also used her appearances as a lady to get people to trust her. Her mother, who was able to get Carmilla into the house of the General and Laura's father, had an "air and appearance so distinguished and even imposing and in her manner so engaging, as to impress one, quite apart from the dignity of her equipage, with a conviction that she was a person of consequence" (Le Fanu p.281). It seems that both Lestat and Carmilla have a taste of going after those with money and status. When Carmilla met the General's niece she was at a very aristocratic assembly (Le Fanu p.322). It certainly helped Carmilla that it was a costume ball as it helped her pretend that she and her mother were someone they clearly weren't, the general's old friend. It would make sense why Le Fanu would make Carmilla go after the daughters of rich men. In the late 1800s only a

certain class knew how to read and it was for those that Fanu wanted to scare.

Vampires need secrecy to continue to live and feed or else they would be hunt down and killed like Carmilla was once the General discovered what she truly was and what she did to his niece. They need to blend in human society and live among them so they use their appearances and other tricks to lure their victims in.