An Education in Malice Summary, Characters and Themes
“An Education in Malice” by S.T. Gibson is a dark, atmospheric novel that blends the allure of dark academia with the seductive, gothic themes of vampirism and forbidden love.
Set within the cloistered, ancient halls of Saint Perpetua’s College, the story follows Laura Sheridan, a young aspiring poet who becomes ensnared in a web of secrets, power dynamics, and passionate rivalries. At its core, the novel delves into the complexities of desire, obsession, and the pursuit of knowledge, all set against a backdrop of poetic discourse, hidden rituals, and insatiable hungers that blur the line between academia and the supernatural.
Summary
In the fall of 1968, Laura Sheridan arrives at the secluded Saint Perpetua’s College, nestled in the remote hills of Massachusetts. A driven 18-year-old from Mississippi, Laura is eager to study literature and hone her craft as a poet.
Her dreams are set alight by the promise of being mentored by the enigmatic Professor De LaFontaine, a renowned poet whose prestigious class Laura has managed to enter. However, the atmosphere at Saint Perpetua’s is far from welcoming—it’s a world where secrets are currency, and every student guards their ambitions closely.
On her first day, Laura encounters Carmela, an aloof and stunning Austrian third-year student. Their initial meeting is fraught with tension, quickly escalating into a fierce academic rivalry.
Carmela is the professor’s star pupil, admired for her poetic brilliance and sharp intellect, which leaves Laura feeling both challenged and envious. As their rivalry intensifies, Laura discovers that Carmela holds a special place in the professor’s life, a relationship that borders on something more intimate than mere academic mentorship.
The novel takes a darker turn when Laura stumbles upon a shocking revelation: Professor De LaFontaine is a vampire, and Carmela is more than just her favorite student—she is also her willing blood supplier.
The professor’s mentorship is not purely intellectual; it involves a sinister exchange where Carmela allows herself to be fed upon in return for private lessons and guidance. This discovery pulls Laura deeper into the mysterious world of Saint Perpetua’s, where the lines between desire, power, and predation blur.
Despite the darkness surrounding Carmela, Laura finds herself inexplicably drawn to her. Their rivalry gives way to a heated, forbidden romance filled with erotic tension.
The novel explores their evolving relationship, which is rife with manipulation, obsession, and a power struggle that threatens to consume them both. As Laura’s infatuation with Carmela deepens, she becomes further entangled with Professor De LaFontaine, who wields her influence over her students like a predator circling its prey.
In the second half of the novel, the focus shifts from academic competition to the passionate, often toxic relationship between Laura and Carmela.
As their romance intensifies, Laura grapples with her own inner conflicts—her ambition, her faith, and the thrill of giving in to darker desires she never knew she had. The intellectual world she once sought for creative inspiration now seems like a labyrinth of secrets, where knowledge is gained at the cost of innocence.
As the story nears its climax, Laura must confront her feelings for both Carmela and the professor, navigating a treacherous path between loyalty, love, and self-destruction.
The climax brings Laura to a crossroads where she must decide how far she’s willing to go in pursuit of her desires and whether she can truly escape the seductive grip of Saint Perpetua’s dark academia.
Despite its rushed conclusion, “An Education in Malice” is a richly atmospheric exploration of power dynamics, forbidden romance, and the seductive allure of darkness in the pursuit of knowledge.
It’s a tale that lingers like a haunting poem, leaving readers captivated by its blend of intellectual fervor, erotic tension, and supernatural intrigue.
Characters
Laura Sheridan
Laura, the protagonist, is an 18-year-old girl from Mississippi who arrives at St. Perpetua College with dreams of becoming a writer. Her character arc is rooted in her quest for self-discovery and intellectual fulfillment.
At the outset, Laura appears as a curious and ambitious student eager to immerse herself in the world of literature. She carries the innocence of someone who has spent her life on the fringes of academia, yearning for something more than the conservative and restrictive life she knew back home.
Despite her initial idealism, Laura’s journey at the college soon thrusts her into a world that challenges her values and sense of self. Her rivalry with Carmela reveals hidden facets of her personality, particularly her competitive nature, insecurity, and unacknowledged desires.
Laura’s attraction to Carmela is layered with both admiration and envy, which complicates their relationship. The revelation of Professor De LaFontaine’s vampiric nature becomes a turning point for Laura, forcing her to confront the darker impulses within herself.
This transformation from an innocent newcomer to someone who willingly participates in the morally ambiguous world of St. Perpetua illustrates the theme of corrupted innocence and the seductive power of forbidden knowledge. Laura’s eventual embrace of her desires, both intellectual and carnal, highlights her internal struggle between what she was taught to believe and the newfound world she is willing to embrace.
Carmela
Carmela is a third-year student of Austrian descent, shrouded in mystery and intrigue. From the moment she meets Laura, Carmela’s presence is commanding, and her air of aloofness only adds to her allure.
She is established as the favored student of Professor De LaFontaine, possessing an effortless brilliance that leaves other students in awe. Carmela’s sharp wit and cutting demeanor make her appear intimidating, and initially, she uses her intelligence to undermine Laura, turning their academic rivalry into a psychological game.
Beneath her confident exterior, Carmela is a deeply complex character driven by her own insecurities and need for validation. Her relationship with De LaFontaine is both symbiotic and manipulative; while Carmela supplies the professor with blood in exchange for mentorship, it is evident that she is also entranced by the professor’s power and knowledge.
Carmela’s feelings for Laura evolve from antagonism to reluctant affection, which slowly transforms into a passionate, if tumultuous, romance. This shift reveals Carmela’s vulnerability, showing that her ruthless persona masks a fear of emotional connection.
Her bond with Laura becomes both a source of strength and a dangerous obsession, blurring the lines between rivalry, love, and domination.
Professor Evelyn De LaFontaine
Professor De LaFontaine is the enigmatic poetry professor who presides over the most competitive and sought-after class at St. Perpetua College. She exudes an aura of authority, with her commanding presence and intellectual prowess drawing students like moths to a flame.
As a vampire, De LaFontaine is not only a master of poetry but also a manipulator of human desire and ambition. She preys upon her students’ aspirations, offering them mentorship in exchange for something far more intimate and sinister: their blood.
The relationship between De LaFontaine, Carmela, and Laura is a twisted triangle that explores the power dynamics inherent in teacher-student relationships. De LaFontaine’s obsession with Carmela is rooted in more than just a need for sustenance—it is an attempt to mold Carmela in her own image, a dark reflection of the professor’s desire for control and immortality.
However, De LaFontaine’s fascination with Laura adds another layer of complexity. She sees in Laura a raw talent and hunger that she can exploit, attempting to seduce her into her world of darkness.
As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that De LaFontaine is not simply a predator but a character driven by her own existential fears and the desire to leave a lasting legacy through her students.
Themes
The Seductive Power of Intellectual Obsession and the Pursuit of Forbidden Knowledge
At the heart of An Education in Malice lies the intoxicating allure of intellectual obsession, where the pursuit of knowledge is laced with dark, seductive undertones. The novel explores how academia becomes a vessel not just for the acquisition of knowledge, but for the unrestrained exploration of forbidden desires.
The setting of Saint Perpetua’s College, a place steeped in tradition and secrecy, amplifies the Gothic atmosphere, making intellectual discovery feel like a treacherous journey into the unknown. The poetry classes led by Professor De LaFontaine are not merely academic exercises; they are invitations to unlock deeper, more dangerous passions within oneself.
For Laura, intellectual exploration becomes synonymous with self-discovery, blurring the lines between academic rigor and carnal desire. In this environment, knowledge is not purely cerebral—it is visceral, intoxicating, and at times, destructive.
The characters are lured into crossing ethical boundaries in their relentless quest for intellectual superiority. This reveals how academia can transform into a labyrinth of both enlightenment and madness.
Eroticism, Queerness, and the Liberation of Repressed Desires through Sapphic Relationships
The novel delves deeply into the exploration of repressed sexuality and forbidden love, particularly through its portrayal of Laura and Carmilla’s evolving relationship. The Sapphic romance that blossoms between these two women is not just a subplot, but a central axis around which the entire story revolves.
Initially presented as academic rivals, their relationship quickly transforms into a passionate entanglement that challenges Laura’s deeply ingrained values and aspirations. The tension between them is laden with eroticism, captured in rich, evocative prose that teeters on the edge of decadence.
Laura’s initial fascination with Carmilla’s brilliance morphs into a carnal obsession that leads her to question her own desires and identity. By intertwining intellectual admiration with sensual attraction, the novel explores how repressed desires can find expression in the most unexpected ways.
Carmilla, as a character, embodies the allure of the forbidden. Her influence over Laura forces the latter to confront her own hidden hungers, both intellectual and erotic.
The Intersection of Power Dynamics, Manipulation, and the Corruption of Mentor-Student Relationships
Professor De LaFontaine’s role as the enigmatic poetry professor highlights the novel’s nuanced exploration of power dynamics within academia. The mentor-student relationship, which is supposed to be nurturing and intellectual, instead becomes a means of manipulation and control.
De LaFontaine’s fascination with Carmilla and her later seduction of Laura is emblematic of how those in positions of authority can exploit their influence to satisfy their own desires. In the world of Saint Perpetua’s College, mentorship is a double-edged sword, where the transfer of knowledge is intertwined with the extraction of something far more personal.
For De LaFontaine, students are not just pupils to be molded but vessels to be consumed, both metaphorically and literally, as seen through the vampiric feeding. The imbalance of power is starkly highlighted in Laura’s struggle to reconcile her respect for De LaFontaine’s intellectual prowess with the unsettling realization that she is being preyed upon.
This theme is a potent commentary on the predatory nature of certain academic relationships, where the quest for excellence becomes tainted by the selfish desires of those who wield authority. It explores how ambition and the hunger for approval can lead young, impressionable minds down a path of moral compromise.
The Destructive Consequences of Idolization and the Loss of Self in the Shadow of Greatness
Laura’s journey is not only one of academic pursuit but also a cautionary tale about the dangers of idolization. Her initial reverence for Carmilla and De LaFontaine sets the stage for her own unraveling.
Both Carmilla and De LaFontaine serve as objects of Laura’s desire, not merely for their beauty or intellectual prowess but for the enigmatic power they seem to wield effortlessly. Laura’s obsession with Carmilla becomes a consuming force, blurring her sense of identity and purpose.
The novel explores how the desire to be acknowledged by those we idolize can lead to self-destruction, particularly when the objects of admiration are themselves deeply flawed.
In her desperate quest to be seen, Laura loses sight of her own dreams and values, allowing herself to be consumed by the manipulative games of those she once revered.
The story becomes a study in how the line between admiration and obsession can dissolve, leading individuals to sacrifice their moral integrity in pursuit of validation.
The Interplay of Religion, Sacrilege, and the Struggle between Devotion and Sinful Desire
One of the most complex and intriguing thematic threads in the novel is Laura’s internal conflict between her religious upbringing and the sinful allure of the world she finds herself drawn into.
Initially aspiring to become a pastor, Laura’s devout background becomes a point of tension as she navigates her burgeoning desires for Carmilla and the morally ambiguous mentorship of De LaFontaine.
The novel uses Laura’s struggle to explore the broader themes of faith, sacrilege, and the seductive nature of sin.
The contrast between her religious devotion and the hedonistic temptations of her new academic life creates a rich inner turmoil, pushing Laura to question the very foundations of her beliefs.
This theme is not simply about the conflict between faith and desire; it delves deeper into how rigid moral structures can stifle self-discovery. Embracing one’s darker impulses can lead to a more profound understanding of oneself.
The narrative raises questions about the price of devotion and whether true freedom can be attained without sacrificing one’s deepest beliefs.
The Gothic Exploration of Immortality, Artistic Legacy, and the Vampiric Quest for Eternal Influence
While the novel is set against the backdrop of dark academia, it subtly interweaves elements of Gothic horror through its exploration of vampirism and the quest for immortality.
The character of De LaFontaine, as a vampire who feeds not only on blood but also on the creative energies of her students, serves as a metaphor for the insatiable desire to leave an enduring artistic legacy.
The novel suggests that the pursuit of intellectual and creative immortality is, in its own way, a vampiric endeavor—an attempt to extract something eternal from the fleeting lives of others. By consuming the talents and passions of her students, De LaFontaine ensures her influence lingers far beyond her mortal life.
This metaphor extends to the characters’ own fears of being forgotten, driving them to engage in increasingly desperate acts to secure their place in history. The story’s subtle layering of vampiric horror with the academic setting creates a haunting atmosphere, exploring the lengths individuals will go to attain immortality, whether through art, knowledge, or the literal consumption of others.