Homosexuality In Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla

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During the Victorian period amongst many issues human sexuality, gender, and religion was heavily debated. Human sexuality is an element that has been evolving since the beginning of the nineteenth century. Sexual preference is one of the most criticized matters in society; moreover, to speak of sex is often taboo. These opinions are comparatively due to old teachings of religion. Although human sexual preference has become more accepted and published; however, during the Victorian period, homosexuality of any kind is a sinful and undiscussed act.
Sheridan Le Fanu’s novel, Carmilla, was published in 1872 as one of the first pieces of vampiric fiction in British Literature. Carmilla was the concluding short story from a collection of stories
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Religion have caused many men and women to be outcast and even killed for their views. During the Victorian period, the act of homosexual activities was unacceptable. Andrew L. White of Clemson University, who wrote "Politics, Religion, Attribution Theory, And Attitudes toward Same‐Sex Unions", states, “Biblical literalism is always one of the most powerful predictors of attitudes toward same-sex unions. Individuals who frequently attend religious services or who consistently engage in private religious devotions such as prayer or scripture reading are less likely to be favorable toward same-sex unions”(White 701).During this century homosexuality was punishable by death or long term imprisonment. Anyone who chose to practice homosexuality was forbidden.
The Victorian Period was a time of that society and the opinion of the church had a major influence in the lives of individuals. Women were of lesser value and their opinions had no impact on society. Sexuality was of no question, because sexual activities with the same sex was unheard of and had no place in society. Sheridan Le Fanu does a spectacular job showing how society tries to put a name on things that are unexplainable. Le Fanu was amongst the first to write about these fancies that has been suppressed during the Victorian

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