Interview with a Vampire

In the novel, Interview with a Vampire, Anne Rice toys with the idea of polyamorous relationships. Rice ignores the idea of gender and focuses more on the idea of what a relationship is. She seems to allude that one sexual or gender orientation does not matter in favor of dominance and power. Power and dominance are sexy, regardless of gender. The relationship between Lestat and Louis is one of dominance and submission. Lestat fell in love with Louis,, but that love is overshadowed with his need for dominance.. Lestat, upon seeing for the first time Louis's "fine black hair" and deep green eyes, is seduced not only by Louis's beauty, but also by his tragedy and human heart, Lestat confesses “He seduced the tenderness in me.” This is after Louis has suffered much self destruction after the death of his brother and is in a vulnerable position; which Lestat takes advantage of.

        Rice takes this vampire myth and churns it into a story of relationships. By using vampires, she is not bound to the idea of societal construct and can further explore what are the components within a relationship. Vampires are inhuman, and therefor human morals and standards do not apply to them. This becomes very apparent in the case of Claudia, the 5 year old girl Louis originally kills, and Lestat turns into a vampire. As she is undead, Claudia remains in the form of a five year old girl, but psychologically develops into a sensual woman. Rice uncannily sexualizes this young girl. This becomes apparent when Lestat turns Claudia into a Vampire. Louis describes her as such, “She was the most beautiful child I'd ever seen, and now she glowed with the cold fire of a vampire. Her eyes were a woman's eyes, I could see it already. She would become white and spare like us but not lose her shape…I was mesmerized by her, by her transformed, by her every gesture: She was not a child any longer, she was a vampire child.” Louis was so transfixed by this child, he was desperate to drink her blood, yet never did he think of turning her into a vampire. Lestat gains further control over Louis by turning Claudia which in turn further binds Louis to him. A family demands commitment, and Louis accepts the role of becoming a pseudo mother to Claudia, which later resolves into what one may argue is a romantic bond.