October 6, 2010

The Visit

Throughout this course we have discussed in detail the importance of who the narrator is in a story.  How would the narrator change how the story is perceived by the reader?  Is the narrator leaving something out that they do not wish the reader to know, or are they simply unaware of certain circumstances that may be prevalent to the story?  Something I always find interesting is when the same story is told from the point of view of different characters.  Stephenie Meyer does this in the Twilight series and in my opinion she is able to capture the characters different personalities very well.

Carmilla is told in the perspective of Laura, the victim of the story.  Many questions are not answered because Laura doesn’t know them.  The character who may have been able to enlighten the reader, Carmilla, is vanquished before she has the chance.  Obviously this lack of purpose to the story is somewhat frustrating, but it is also necessary.  The purpose of the story is to be unknown; if Le Fanu had wanted the reader to know all the answers he would have found a way to tell it.

One passage that especially grabs me is when Laura is first introduced to Carmilla.  It is obviously significant that Carmilla visited Laura as a child, but it is never explained why she decides to go there.  From the information given in the story I’m going to attempt writing the passage below from Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu in Carmilla’s perspective, to possibly give the reader a reason for Carmilla’s presence in Laura’s life.

            “I can’t have been more than six years old, when one night I awoke, and looking round the room from my bed failed to see the nursery maid.  Neither was my nurse there; and I thought myself alone. I was not frightened, for I was one of those happy children who are studiously kept in ignorance of ghost stories, of fairy tales, and of all such lore as makes us cover up our heads when the door cracks suddenly, or the flicker of an expiring candles makes the shadow of a bedpost dance upon the wall, nearer to our faces.  I was vexed and insulted at finding myself, as I conceived, neglected, and I began to whimper, preparatory to a hearty bout of roaring; when to my surprise, I saw a solemn, but very pretty face looking at me from the side of the bed.  It was that of a young lady who was kneeling, with her hands under the coverlet.  I looked at her with a kind of pleased wonder, and ceased whimpering.  She caressed me with her hands, and lay down beside me on the bed, and drew me towards her, smiling; I felt immediately delightfully soothed, and fell asleep again.   I was wakened by a sensation as if two needles ran into my breast very deep at the same moment, and I cried loudly.  The lady started back, with her eyes fixed on me, and then slipped down upon the floor, and, as I thought, hid herself under the bed.”

The Visit

I have waited many years to find her.  I knew that when I saw her it would be apparent that she was the one.  My family is ancient and strong, but the lineage that has followed me has left more to be desired than I can describe.  I have visited the women of my line for the last fifty years and when I do find her I will place on her the same blessing that I have been given; the gift of eternal life.  I have decided to visit her tonight.  I have observed her from afar since she was an infant and I am convinced that it is her.  The mother I let parish.  She did not have the qualities that her Laura has, nor the features.

I came into her room the first time while she was asleep.  I kept hidden as she awoke from her slumber but when she began to weep I made my presence known to her.  She was only a child of six yet she was not afraid as you might expect any child to be.  She regarded me with interest and did not pull away when first I touched her.  I soothed her gently and joined her on the bed, where soon after she fell asleep in my arms.  I knew she was the one I was waiting for and so I marked her.  I let myself transform into my other nature and I glided back towards the bed, drew the collar of her nightgown back slightly, and struck!  The response from the child was immediate and dramatic.  Her eyes flew open, she shrieked and I was gone.

I have only a few years now to wait before I can claim her as my mate.  I know she felt the connection, as I did, and I know she will remember me when again I come into her life.

5 comments:

  1. I like how you brought up the subject of authors using different point of views. I personally enjoy when authors tell the story from two or several points of view. It really lets the reader get a good grasp at what is going on in the story and it can also offer different points of view to the same situation. This is especially true when the story is told by either the victim or the “bad guy”. In Carmilla the story s told, as you say, by Laura the victim. Imagine what a different tale it would be if Carmilla told the story. It wouldn’t be a scary vampire story, it would be a triumphant tale about a vampire who successfully seduced her pray but fell at the hands of evil men. Your interpretation of the dream scene does a nice job of illustrating the difference in the way the story is told by a different view.
    “My family is ancient and strong, but the lineage that has followed me has left more to be desired than I can describe” “I kept hidden as she awoke from her slumber but when she began to weep I made my presence known to her. She was only a child of six yet she was not afraid as you might expect any child to be. She regarded me with interest and did not pull away when first I touched her. I soothed her gently and joined her on the bed, where soon after she fell asleep in my arms. I knew she was the one I was waiting for and so I marked her”

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an interesting post! As Duquaine said above, it is always intriguing when an author decides to write their story with more than one perspective. It may be fairly obvious, but I believe that maybe one of the reasons it is not done more often is simply because of how difficult it is to consider all of the myriad aspects of the story that must be considered. Every action has a reaction, and all of these are more or less laid out for the reader. Not a simple task I would think.
    The passage you selected also has a rather supernatural aspect to it that I had not previously considered. Why was Laura unafraid of this strange person suddenly appearing in her room? Laura describes, “I looked at her with a kind of pleased wonder, and ceased whimpering.” In my opinion, this unmistakably carries aspects of the supernatural. It is difficult for me to conceive of a young girl not being freaked out by a stranger suddenly being in her room, no matter how pleasant her appearance!
    I also wondered, as you did, how Carmilla decided on Laura as prey when she was so young. You wrote, “It is obviously significant that Carmilla visited Laura as a child, but it is never explained why she decides to go there.” Your ‘alternate telling’ from Carmilla’s point of view was very compelling. I enjoyed how you wrote of Carmilla’s lineage and her family being “ancient and strong”. Of note was your passage describing “marking” Laura for the future. It is a small detail but an important one. How else does one explain Carmilla visiting her when Laura was so young and then not returning for such a time period? Your additions created more depth to Carmilla and, to me, enhanced that section of the book. Nice work!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love it! I hope you will consider expanding this post for a final project. I always think that a novel written in Carmilla's point of view would be some story! Consider why it is that she seeks out the women of her lineage? It's an interesting sort of "rite of passage," isn't it? I'm also always interested in Carmilla's entourage--the lady that manipulates the General and Laura's father into taking her as a ward, the black woman in the carriage, even the ghoulish little people that are her drivers and footmen. I think it's these sorts of details, in addition to the uncanny dream you narrated above, that makes Le Fanu's stories so...well, creepy!

    Also, bear in mind what Duquaine said above about how different these vampire tales would be if written from the perspective of the vampire. In terms of Carmilla, "It wouldn’t be a scary vampire story, it would be a triumphant tale about a vampire who successfully seduced her pray but fell at the hands of evil men." Bear this in mind when we read _Interview_ and consider the difference in narrative focus when the vampire story is written from their perspective.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow thanks guys! I must admit I was a little nervous about writing this blog. It almost feels as if I'm trying to rewrite Le Fanu's story which would be some pretty hard shoes to fill! It's also harder because of the period that the story is written and writing in Carmilla's perspective; both things that would be hard for me to understand. Which means I definitely appreciate all your praises.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Colleen,
    I love the idea of using this as my project. I didn't know that was an option. I have already ready Interview with a Vampire (and seen the movie... Oh I don't know... A hundred times! Haha) and I see what you mean about the vampire being the victim instead of the enemy.

    ReplyDelete