WEEK2: Interview with a Vampire - Anne Rice (6pts)

 Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice is a compelling novel bringing you the new perspective of what it’s like to be a monster. In a way it gives you a first look into the issues of being immortal and overall the almost human-like issues these creatures can have. In a way this book lightly touches on the more complex and multidimensional character that a monster can be. He isn’t necessarily a character you empathize with especially at first as he was well off and basically contributed to the use of slaves and had his family live in a plantation. In that way, he is not a monster that is relatable whatsoever. Louis de Point du Lac being the vampire who speaks to the mysterious boy interviewer about his trials and tribulations within his transformation from mere mortal man to alluring vampire. He explains to the interviewer about how he for a while had suicidal tendencies due to the death of his brother – which was caused by an argument due to Louis finding out that his brother was having religious visions and later on passed in an accident. Even though he has suicidal tendencies he doesn’t have the courage to die by his own hand therefore he put himself in careless situations in the hopes that someone would kill him. This is where we introduce Lestat, his maker who turns him into a vampire by almost sucking out all his blood to death but then later on punishing him with the gift of eternal life as Louis rebels to the idea of dying last minute. They sort out some kind of deal in which Lestat ends up getting Louis’ entire plantation due to the fact that Louis did not want to deal with the memories of his brother’s death in place.

 

Throughout the book Louis explains the complexities of the tumultuous relationship between the two vampires and how the relationship itself is complicated but in a way where they felt at a disadvantage without one another. They come together to raise Claudia their vampire daughter who basically turns into a vampire as a young child due to Louis feeding on her and then sparring her life by transforming her into a vampire. Louis also explains his disdain towards the vampire life as he does not want to kill humans yet he does the act himself.  He first starts feeding on animals but then later realizes it’s not enough to satisfy. This is how he almost killed Claudia himself. He is unsatisfied with the course of his life but is punished to live forever until the end of time. I thought it was interesting how Louis wasn’t satisfied with life when he was a human and how he is still unsatisfied when given the exact opposite as a vampire. He dislikes the idea of death but ponders a lot about living forever.

 

The other vampires in the book are wildly different about how they choose to go about their vampire ways and they seem to have no qualms with whatever you must deal with in order to keep going as a vampire. They seem to not face any trivializing challenges when it comes down to the idea of eternal life and just accept it for what it is.  The two main vampires present very core differences. For example, Louis in a way tries to keep his humanity intact even though he is everything but human and he struggles with the idea of putting people to death as it somehow triggers him due to his brother’s passing. He has his qualms with death and although would like to not be a killer and a monster he still ends up doing what he’s not supposed to. On the other hand, Lestat shows juxtaposition by enjoying the thrill and going in for the kill.

 

Through all the dissatisfaction that Louis makes the life of a vampire seem, the mysterious narrator still seems interested in living the eternal life. Even through all those tribulations and proofs of loss, there’s still interest. Louis lost everything that meant anything to him.