Writing Homework Help

Instructions: In fiction and film, vampires are often charismatic or attractive figures, but they also represent the exploitative side of human relations. In the novel Carmilla, the vampire says she loves the narrator, Laura; yet she also speaks about love as “cruel” and “selfish” (Chap. VI). In Chapter XVI, the vampire expert states that “The vampire is prone to be fascinated with an engrossing vehemence, resembling the passion of love, by particular persons” (Chapter XVI).

Write an essay on how can the “vampiric love” of Carmilla mirrors abusive relationships in the world around us. Your essay should be at least 750 words.

1. Cite at least three specific incidents from Carmilla. Make sure you identify them clearly (including chapter numbers).
2. Draw parallels between the way the vampire behaves in the Carmilla and the way abusers behave in real life.
3. Can the emotions that Carmilla expressed towards Laura count as love (as you understand it), or are they only a semblance of love? In other words, did Carmilla really love Laura.

I recommend that you refer to the idea of Objectification (treating other humans as less-than-human), as defined by the feminist philosopher Martha Nussbaum. Nussbaum mentions seven traits that are typical of objectifiers; not all have to be present in a given abusive relationship.

1. The objectifier treats the other person as a tool to achieve their own purposes.
2. The objectifier acts as if the other person has no right to make his/her own choices.
3. The objectifier treats the other person as a passive—as it were inanimate, inert—object that they can physically manipulate as they wish.
4. The objectifier treats the other person as someone s/he can “exchange” for another person of the same type.
5. The objectifier feels that s/he has the right to hurt or violate the other person.
6. The objectifier treats the other person as a possession that s/he can keep or dispose of as s/he wishes.
7. The objectifier acts as if the other person’s experiences and feelings either do not exist or are entirely unimportant (do not need to be taken into account).

(If you want to read more about the idea of objectification, here is Nussbaum’s original essay: http://www.mit.edu/~shaslang/mprg/nussbaumO.pdfLinks to an external site., and here is an excellent overview of the concept in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-objecti…Links to an external site..)