- Both novels involve main characters with a love interest. Laura for Carmilla and Mina for Count Dracula, though both are seemingly improper. Mina is already engaged and Laura and Carmilla's relationship is heavy with lesbian overtones.
- Both families involved in the stories come from nobility or upper-class families, with distinguished ancestral history. However, most novels published in this time period, mentioned at least one noble character or often a main character was of nobility, so this seems a little like grasping for straws to me.
- Both novels have similar heroes. It can be argued that Stoker's Van Helsing is a direct correlation to Le Fanu's Baron Vordenburg, though I won't say why and ruin it for the class. Some argue that Laura is a hero, but I have a difficult time with that notion, much like I do with Bella in Twilight. However, that's another blog post.
Apparently, Stoker took a lot of inspiration from a lot of sources. First, Vlad the Impaler, Elizabeth Bathory (according to our symposium presentation, A Once Bloody Hell, at least), and now Carmilla. Though both novels are similar in a few ways, the plots lines and situations behind them are still largely different. Different enough to enjoy without it ever being noticed.
Source: http://www.michaelclutton.com/vampires/Early_Vampire_Literature_Formed_Vampires.html
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