Interview with the Vampire Themes

Interview with the Vampire examines the nature of evil, questioning whether people—or vampires—are inherently good or evil, or whether their relative goodness is defined by their actions. Louis de Pointe du Lac serves as the primary lens through which this idea unfolds. Louis’s transformation into a vampire marks the beginning of his struggle with his new predatory nature and the loss of his humanity. Louis finds it morally repugnant to need to kill to survive…

Interview with the Vampire explores desire through a homoerotic subtext and the vampires’ insatiable thirst for blood, which shapes the relationships of the novel’s characters. The homoerotic undertones become evident in the intense, often intimate bond between Louis and Lestat. Their relationship transcends mere companionship, suggesting romantic and sexual desire (though the novel’s vampires never explicitly engage in sexual activity). Lestat’s decision to turn Louis into a vampire stems from a deep longing…

Interview with the Vampire presents a version of the modern American vampire, which is markedly different from the European vampire stories of the past. Although the figure of the vampire dates back further than Dracula, Bram Stoker’s iconic novel defined the vampire for much of the 20th century. Although there was some variation in how various authors presented their vampires, they tended to adhere to certain tropes. For instance, vampires were afraid of garlic…