Interview with the Vampire (up to pt 2)

Vampires in this book have far different mannerisms, rules, and attitude than in Dracula. This is something that I like greatly about it, there creates a more modern insight in this story. Seeing from the vampires point of view makes the story far more compelling to read, at least thus far. It is also nice to have known the vampires to have been mortals at one point, to see that they were normal people.

Louis' character brings a very civilized character to a creature that has always been portrayed otherwise. Lestat is the contrast to Louis' level-minded goodness with his torturous and mindless violence towards his victims. While Louis spends a great deal of time trying to understand what he is and why this has happened to him, Lestat is making a game out of being a vampire. He respects nothing, especially life of those he kills and of those he creates. His response to Louis' questions and pleas is cold and calloused. He attacks him, as if it was stupid to want to know, where they had come from. "'Be glad I made you what you are.' he sneered. 'Or I'll break you in a thousand pieces!'"(110). Lestat's attitude about most things is quite opposite of Louis, and the young vampire he creates, Claudia.

When Claudia comes into the picture some of the turmoil between Lestat and Louis dies away. Even though Louis is furious with him for pushing immortality on a child , Louis eventually falls in love with her as his own daughter. For a while, the three become a family of sorts, raising a child until she is an adult, at least her mind is. Once Claudia reaches a mature age in mind it becomes evident that she is frustrated with forever being a child. She starts asking questions, disrupting the peace that had been created between Lestat and Louis for so many years. Her own immortality and strength, but inability to survive without an "adult" companion starts to tear a rift between her and her two "fathers".
Claudia pressures Louis, finally, to tell her what had happened to make her. Once she knows, she is furious that her chance at "human nature" and "mortal life" had been taken from her. She recognizes that this is what makes Louis very different from Lestat, that he still holds these traits. "I am more you vampire self than you are. And now the sleep of sixty-five years has ended"(118). Her anger at not having the traits, nor the ability to gain them, that Louis has that are so "human" sets her against Lestat. Her attempt(s) to kill him are all for the greater answer for her and Louis, however. They both share one thing; they know nothing of where Lestat, or they, came from. Their quest for other vampires is next, and I am looking forward to what they find.