Week Two: Interview with the Vampire

The classic vampire story has come a long way since the days of Dracula and the European vampires of old. Contemporary vampire lore has transformed the life stealing blood sucker into a creature with human relationships and even human values. However, the essence of the vampire has not changed. The foundational idea of vampires is that they are still creatures who take and steal from others, sometimes "corrupting" them to become vampires just like them. But in a modern setting, what the vampire steals may not always be literal blood, and they don't need to have fangs and superhuman abilities to be a "vampire". Humans can also exhibit "vampiric" traits by stealing other people's happiness, by feeding on their misfortune, or just leeching off of their property, instead of blood. Anne Rice, however, still writes her characters as literal vampires, but exhibiting human traits and thought processes. Interview with the Vampire explores the relationships formed by these vampires, and the consequences of their relationships when immortality and moral dilemma are thrown into the mix.
To Louis, our protagonist, Lestat had become a vampire in the truest sense. He took from Louis his humanity, his money, and-for a period of time- his freedom. Not only did he suck Louis's blood, he also sucked Louis emotionally, forcing Louis to stay with him out of guilt and necessity while leeching off of his money and land as well. Yes, he was a traditional blood-sucking vampire, but he was also a vampire in the sense that he sucked Louis's livelihood, fortune, and freedom. However, he also severely depended on Louis in order to sustain his lifestyle. Unable to handle money wisely, and desperate for companionship, Lestat relied on Louis for both. Just like a traditional vampire, who depends on blood for life, Lestat fed on Louis's wealth and skills for life. Louis was the blood upon which Lestat sustained his life (other than the literal blood which he also fed on). As a result, Louis felt emotionally drained and constantly desires to leave Lestat. Anne Rice has thus written a dynamic where the "vampire" not only sucks blood,  but exhibits human "vampiric" traits such as being a manipulative person and leeching off of others.