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   Interview with the vampire
Relationships are the meat and potatoes of this novel, where the exploration of interactions and societal questions is done so with the vampire sec. The main relationship of the novel is that of Lestat and Louis. Largely a superior and follower relationship, its struggle of equality is in vain. For a large part of the novel it is believed that secrets of vampirism are being withheld by Lestat, which also keeps his power over Louis. Eventually this proves false, and we find that the true source of the two’s divide lies largely in upbringing: that of rich and poor. Jealously and desire of such a life style is what truly drives Lestat’s actions (even from making Louis a vampire to begin with) and it is not until the conclusion that we find Lestat’s recollection that it is company that he most desires and that keeps such an existence bearable. This separation derived from such aristocratic ties is a southerly sourced idea. This fits in with the southern gothic label for the literature, whose key elements also include that of a deep secret/ race and slavery underlying the writing.
    Another element of the Interview with the Vampire is the derivation of intimacy via the vampire conversion. The bonds formed from this are strong, and drive another relationship: Louis and Claudia’s. Long before Lestat, Louis sees that companionship is of the utmost importance, and it is such that allows him to become so close to Claudia (first in the form of parental than later that of a lover). Companionship could also be said to be the driving force of their betrayal and attempted destruction of Lestat: the companionship formed between the two and the companionship of other vampires that Lestat is denying them. Anne Rice takes this basic necessity of humanity and also makes it a necessity of vampirism, in effect making it simply a necessity of existence no matter what form. Another parallel between these two states is time. To humanity time is an enemy because it is restricted. Time is also an enemy to the vampire, but for a different reason; while time dose not run out like mortals and attack the body, rather it attacks the mind, reducing one to an eventual state of ‘no longer existing’.

   In reading the text I often found myself likening Louis’s life as a vampire to abusive relationships. Lestat’s controlling actions over his early years of being a vampire fit much of such a profile. His relationship with Claudia also has the same controlling aspects, an example being her bullying of Louis into helping her get rid of Lestat. While, thankfully, I can not personally connect to such a situation this still seemed a very important part of the novel since the social problem still so vibrantly exists today.

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