“Writers rarely duplicate their influential precursors; rather, they often function within a certain framework established by other writers or generic conventions, but vary aspects of it significantly.” (Clayton, 155). Sheridan Le Fanu's The Historian, Carmilla, Bram Stoker, Dracula, and Elizabeth Kostova, clearly engage in this intertextual exchange, as evidenced by their use of narrative structure, striking character parallels, and the author's choice of language. Published in 1872, Le Fanu tells Carmilla's story from the first-person point of view, through four distinct perspectives. The first narrator, an unnamed assistant to Doctor Hesselius, introduces the story as a correspondence of academic interest between the doctor and a "clever lady". Presenting the story this way lays the foundation for credibility. The doctor's academic interest means scientific validity; therefore woman's intelligence implies rationality. Next, Le Fanu introduces the second narrator, the aforementioned young woman, Laura, who provides the bulk of the narrative to follow. Born in Styria, Laura is described as being of English descent, but having “never seen England” (87). She resides with her father and two housekeepers, is socially isolated and motherless, with negligible paternal involvement. Laura embodies the prototypical victim of vampire literature. Furthermore, foreshadowing her successors, Laura begins her strange story with the words: “Now I will tell you something so strange that it will require all your faith in my truthfulness to believe my story. Not only is it true, however, but it is a truth to which I have been an eyewitness” (91). Laura's appeal to credibility, based on personal testimony, increases...... center of paper ......es her unconventional treatment. Secondly, Van Helsing is reminiscent of the occult expert, Dr. Hesselius. Both men dedicate themselves to the study of the supernatural as a hobby outside of their medical profession. Finally, Van Helsing is a resonance of Baron Vordenburg. Like the Baron, Van Helsing places great value on his books and documents for knowledge of the supernatural; furthermore, he is responsible for confirming Lucy's undead status and instructing the other men on how to stake her; and it is the principles that govern the vampire according to Baron that prefigure Van Helsing's characteristics of the enemy, Dracula (344). Works Cited Clayton, Jay and Eric Rothstein, eds. Influence and intertextuality in literary history. Madison: U of Wisconsin P, 1991. Print.Williams, Ann, ed. Three Vampire Stories: Complete Texts with Introduction. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2003. Print.