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.