Sexuality and Breached Barriers in Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla".

In the shadows of the fiction created by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu seems to lie an aesthetic beyond the archetype of nineteenth century Gothic fiction, manifested particularly in the thematic context of "Carmilla," especially its inherent sexuality. Approaching the question from a stylistic standpoint, research reveals that Le Fanu crafted the text by utilizing fragments of current scientific information, psychological theories exclusive of Freud and contemporary cultural influences. This project will demonstrate that Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu created in "Carmilla" not simply a vampire tale, but a literary production that both captured the imagination with a depth of modern psychological impact and simultaneously challenged the science and theology of his day.