Week 02: Interview with a Vampire

None of the relationships in Interview with a Vampire are perfect. And in doing this, it is probably only more realistic. But there are different levels of dysfunctional relationships which we can see exemplified through Louis contrasting relationships with Lestat and Claudia.

At first, Louis and Lestat had a master-servant relationship as Louis thought Lestat was wonderful, mysterious and knowledgeable. But as that magic disappears, Louis starts to question his position and feels equal if not better than him. When this power dynamic shifts Louis starts to look for ways to leave. So their “relationship” was not defined by any sort of genuine appreciation for one another but instead a constant tension of power and exploitation. As this relationship crumbles Lestat knew he needed a different relationship to replace it. So he created Claudia.

Louis’s relationship with Claudia is… uncomfortable to say the least. But it stems again from Louis desire for knowledge. If Lestat’s age didn’t give him special insight into vampires, maybe a pure, child vampire who knew nothing else would have the answers. His relationship with Claudia also allowed him to create a mind in his own image and encourage her to appreciate life like himself. They definitely began as father and daughter, but as she grew older, she became more and more uncomfortable with that situation. Eventually, she wanted knowledge as well. Their relationship was much stronger than the one Louis had with Lestat, but it wasn’t perfect. As they traveled in Europe the tension of their relationship became more evident. Especially when they met Armand.

Louis relationship was always imperfect with Lestat and Claudia because they didn’t have the answers. That is why Armand was so special, Louis felt thought he knew something more and thought like him. But soon enough, he realized that Armand also didn’t have any special knowledge. Instead, it was Armand who was looking to Louis for the new worldview.

All of these relationships left Louis empty. I wonder if Louis is so focused on knowledge that he can’t appreciate the people. He was always looking for what they could give him, rather than what he could give. This is probably why all of his relationships were so toxic. Thematically, it suits vampires because they are always taking, never giving and ultimately left empty.

Week 01: Frankenstein

In classic Gothic Literature, there’s often a reoccurring theme of a heroine being threatened by a tyrannical male. In Frankenstein, there isn’t really the main heroine character but Shelley exhibits a tyrannical male through Frankenstein in a powerful way by telling the events from his perspective. Dr. Frankenstein qualifies as a tyrannical male because he comes from a background of privilege, is driven by the idea of greatness, he puts the females in his life (and everyone in his life) in grave danger and at his core, he’s a coward.

Frankenstein, as he admits himself, had many reasons to be happy. He was wealthy, well educated, had a great friend and wonderful fiance. Still, he takes it for granted and wants more. This greed for more ultimately destroyed everything he has. By being ungrateful for what he has, he subjects everyone in his life to his tyranny.

His desire for knowledge could have been altruistic, but instead, it is focused on his own desire for power. He wants to be a creator of a master race, hinting at a desire to own other humans. This idea of greatness motivated him to make his greatest act of tyranny, making the monster.

Lastly, he was a coward which put everyone in danger. At the creation of his monster, he ran away in fear. This was cruel to the childlike monster. Then when he had the opportunity to acquit the Justine, he held his tongue out of fear for his own skin. On his wedding night, he allows Elizabeth to be murdered because he was worried about his own safety. Once he has lost everything he gathers the courage to track down the monster but then he ultimately fails.

This transformation into the tyrant makes us less likely to relate to him as we might to a sympathetic heroine but rather serves as a cautionary tale. The real horror isn’t the monster, it is Frankenstein’s self-destructive plummet into being a gothic tyrannical male.