MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

A likely place to find a powerful female for study is the vampire story. Fictional representations of women obviously allow for assignment of attributes and powers not necessarily characteristic of, nor often even possible for, real life human females. The beauty of vampire Caroline Forbes and the development of her character over eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries is that while she possesses the destructive predatory nature essential to vampirism, she instead hones and manifests her power and abilities in other ways: she chooses to be good when her nature dictates otherwise; she copes with and overcomes trauma, victimization, and prejudice with resilience; she recovers from setbacks with grace and clarity; and she demonstrates a mastery of self-control. She is not a typical female vampire, as she strives to maintain order amidst disorder, and she capably thrives in her many roles (daughter, mother, wife, friend, student, career woman). Thus, she presents a model of self-control, maternal love, and emotional strength that — though fictional — nevertheless offers a reasonable parallel to the human female who capably and successfully navigates her hectic and often dysfunctional environment (without fangs or force). In this paper, I explore Caroline’s character as an apt representation of said woman who maintains her many roles, especially pertinent to those who do so while coping with addiction, trauma, and loss. She transcends her own nature for the betterment and peace of the world around her.