Vampire Stories in the 19th Century

The 19th century was a peak time for both Gothic horror novels and vampire stories. These genres were deemed notorious for their themes of encountering the supernatural, fear, despair, and chaos. They  would often engage in violent portrayals and feed off the nightmares of children for centuries to come. Novels like Sheridan Le Fenu's Carmilla John Polidori's The Vampyre, and James Rymer and Thomas Prest's Varney the Vampire all share common themes connected to Bram Stoker's iconic 1897 novel Dracula (1). All pieces of literature uncover similar tales of vampires and medieval characteristics in their wake.

(1). 1st Edition of Stoker's Dracula (1897)

Carmilla and Dracula - The Lustful and Beautiful

Sheridan Le Fenu's Carmilla was published in 1872, while Stoker's Dracula debuted 25 years later. Regardless, the obvious comparisons are striking: both novels deal with vampires who not only feed on their victims blood, but their fear. Also contrasting patriarchal views, in Carmilla the vampire is female.

(4) Cover of Carmilla (1872)

Within the journal article "Repossessing the Body: Transgressive Desire in Camilla and Dracula." Elizabeth Signorotti argues, "Carmilla's refusal to bear her 'ancestral name' is just one example of her refusal to be subsumed by male authority" (2). Lucy is one character in Dracula that uses her beauty to attract her suitors, whereas Carmilla uses her beauty to hunt her prey. Lucy is submissive to her suitors yet she wishes to praise her sexual desire much like Carmilla, which derails the traditional stereotype of women during the 19th century. By writing our vampire as a female, Le Fenu is giving free liberation to his character. Azra Mušović, a professor in Psychology and Anthropology at the University of Serbia writes, "In this timeless story, the latent theme of homosexuality (specifically, female) further enriches Le Fanu’s idea, inviting a multi-layered new interpretation. The seductive and omnipresent vampire Carmilla becomes a fantastic allegory of the modern condition, where the ending’s final ambivalence paves the way for perpetual renewal—because manipulation never dies. There is something Gothic in the modern paradigm of manipulation, i.e. of what contemporary psychoanalysis is defined as Cluster B personality disorders" (3). We also see manipulation occur in Harker's encounter with the vampire woman in Chapter 3 of Dracula where the women see through his subconscious, and use their beauty to captivate him. 

The Vampyre and Dracula - The Supernatural

(5) The Vampyre (1819)

John Polidori's short story The Vampyre was published in 1819 and serves as another example of early vampiric literature. Polidori's story is filled with romance, and elements of fantasy, all ending with a blood thirsty vampire. The Vampyre occurs in the Romantic period, whereas Dracula occurs during the Victorian period in which societies were then seen as a common stable in 19th century Gothic literature. Supernatural elements such as shape shifting occur thoughtout both pieces of literature. For example, we see this element occur when Dracula transforms into a bat and bites Lucy, converting her into a vampire. The Vampyre portrays a forest as a supernatural entity, its nature being dark and gloomy, setting up the perfect scene for a vampire attack. Much like most Gothic horror novels, the setting is significant since it not only sets the tone for the entire scene, but leaves the audience in suspense - longing for more.

Varney the Vampire and Dracula - Good, Evil, and Insane

James Rymer and Thomas Prest's Varney the Vampire (1847) also serves as a contemporary piece that constrasts with Bram Stoker's Dracula, and was published over 40 years earlier. This novel is also known by the name "Or, The Feast of Blood" and was one of the first horror novels to have a weekly issue installed and published in the Penny Dreadful newspapers (7). These were cheap newspapers sold for a dollar consisting of small bits of a story, much like modern day television where you have to wait a week to see the next episode. However, in both novels, there are instances of themes that could be seen as popularized today because of Dracula, for example, concepts of good vs evil, the innocent and the monster. The theme of evil is showcased through the main protagonist: Varney the Vampire. In the journal article "Varney the Vampire: Monster or Victim?" Mike Timko announces the themes of good and evil, "It also introduced many of the facets of the vampire stories so familiar to us today, including the vampire's fangs, the puncture wounds on his victim's neck, the visits to various vaults, the helpless victims, usually beautiful women, and the angry mobs with torches" (8). 

(6) Cover of Varney the Vampire (1847)

Timko indicates vampires have one common goal: sucking the life out of humanity, therefore leading to the loss of innocence. Much like Dracula, Varney's victims are beautiful women - bringing forth a 'good complex,' meaning vampires target innocent victims, ultimately corrupting them. 

Timko brings a brief underlined question on whether Varney is actually a vampire, "As one critic has suggested: 'The story is at times inconsistent and confusing, as if the author did not know whether to make Varney a literal vampire or simply a human who acts like one'" (8). This question coincides with Renfield's behavior in Dracula; he mimics Dracula's actions resorting to eating animals. For example, Renfield's fascination with Count Dracula leads him to have vampiric tendencies, causing him to be sent to an insane asylum, making him a neglected victim. Therefore, posing the same question about Varney and his mental state.

Conclusion

Sheridan Le Fenu's Carmilla, John Polidori's The Vampyre, and James Rymer and Thomas Prest's Varney the Vampire are all vampire stories contemporary to Dracula. Each one depicting early versions of vampiric novels, serving as an inspiration to Stoker. These pieces of literature share similar themes such as gender roles, loss and evidence of the supernatural. Ultimately, showcasing the impact these novels had and will continue to have on society as readers continue to give their interpretations and appreciate these works for what they are.

Works Cited

(1). Stoker, Bram. Dracula. https://cup.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9780393441826/epubcfi/6/34[npp-47d9219dee86660408cd]!/4

(2). Signorotti, Elizabeth. “Repossessing the Body: Transgressive Desire in Carmilla and Dracula” EBSCOHost Accessed 14 March 2025 https://www-jstor-org.proxy-commonwealthu.klnpa.org/stable/23118160?seq=8 

(3). Mušović, Azra "The Psychology of Manipulation: Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla as the Archetypal Concept of the Predator – Victim Relationship in Contemporary Culture" EBSCOHost. Accessed 17 March 2025 https://research.ebsco.com/c/qh4vbl/search/details/cp6zqwpxrj?limiters=RV%3AY&q=carmilla 

(4). Le Fenu, Sheridan. Carmilla. The Project Gutenberg. Accessed 14 March 2025 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10007  

(5). Polidori, William John. The Vampyre: A Tale. EBSCOHost Accessed 16 March 2025 https://research.ebsco.com/c/qh4vbl/search/details/ajsjgkiwsv?q=the%20vampyre 

(6). Prest, Peckett Thomas and Rymer, Malcolm James. Varney the Vampire; Or, The Feast of The Blood. The Project Gutenberg. Accessed 24 March 2024. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/14833/pg14833-images.html

(7). "The Penny Dreadfuls: A Brief History" The Gothic Bookworm. Accessed 24 March 2025 https://thegothicbookworm.wordpress.com/2020/10/13/the-penny-dreadfuls-a-brief-history/

(8). Timko, Mike. "Varney the Vampire: Monster or Victim?" EBSCOHost. Accessed 25 March 2025 https://research.ebsco.com/c/qh4vbl/viewer/html/riayhv5bpz