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Summary
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Interview with the Vampire, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Nature of Evil
Violence, Desire, and Eroticism
Loneliness vs. Companionship
Reinventing the Vampire
Summary
Analysis
A vampire and a boy—both unnamed for the time being—sit in a dark room. The vampire has agreed to tell the boy his life story. The boy, equipped with a tape recorder, is eager to begin. Before they start, the vampire insists on turning on the overhead light, which surprises the boy—he thought vampires could not be exposed to light. When the light comes on, the boy sees the vampire’s unsettling, statue-like appearance. The boy notices that the vampire has vivid green eyes and a finely tailored black coat. Sensing the boy’s fear, the vampire tells him not to worry, as he wants his story told and does not intend to hurt the boy.
From the start of the novel, Rice demonstrates that she willing to subvert the conventions of the typical vampire novel. Typically, vampires are predatory and afraid of light. However, this vampire does not meet either of those stereotypes. This opening section is a frame narrative that the novel will return to on occasion. However, the majority of the novel takes place in the past, as the vampire narrates his story to the boy.
Themes
The vampire begins recounting his past, describing his transformation into a vampire in 1791 at the age of 25. He details the luxurious yet primitive life on his Louisiana plantation (Pointe du Lac), which his family bought after emigrating from France. The vampire then shares memories of his deeply religious younger brother, who experienced visions of saints and believed he was destined for a divine mission. The brother’s devotion led him to spend most of his time in an oratory, praying and experiencing visions.
Although the vampire is not as religious as his younger brother, religion certainly plays an important role in his life, which complicates his feelings about being a vampire. The vampire starts his story with a description of his brother to emphasize the dichotomy between his brother’s holiness and his own potentially evil nature as a vampire. Juxtaposing the sacred and the evil is a motif that runs throughout the novel.
Themes
The vampire describes how his brother, at 15, claimed that St. Dominic and the Blessed Virgin Mary visited him in a vision and instructed him to sell their property so they could use the money for God’s work in France. Despite his brother’s insistence, the vampire dismissed the visions and refused to sell the plantation. In retrospect, the vampire feels like he was wrong for dismissing his brother’s claims. In reality, he does not know whether the visions were real, and he blames his ego for getting in the way.
At the time, the vampire doubted his brother because his brother’s claims seemed too far-fetched to be believed. However, given the vampire’s experiences with the supernatural, in retrospect his brother’s visions do not seem so unlikely. What stands out too is the vampire’s selfishness. His brother wants to help people, while the vampire wants to remain on the plantation—which operates thanks to enslaved laborers.
Themes
One night, after the vampire had a heated argument with his brother about the visions, his brother walked out onto the gallery of their home and fell to his death. The vampire felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility for his brother’s death, a sentiment that was echoed by his family and servants who had overheard their argument. This guilt consumed him, as he felt that his disbelief and lack of kindness somehow caused his brother to fall.
The section of the novel is rather ambiguous, making it unclear whether the vampire’s younger brother fell by accident or died by suicide. Either way, the vampire is wracked with guilt and—to some degree—he thinks of his vampirism as a punishment for refusing to listen to his brother.
Themes
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The vampire describes how he was unable to escape the haunting memory of his brother. His guilt led to a destructive lifestyle, filled with drinking and a desire to die, which ultimately left him vulnerable to a vampire attack. This attack nearly killed him, but it instead transformed him into a vampire. In the aftermath of the transformation, the vampire experienced a shift in perspective. The vampire who attacked him (Lestat) returned, revealing his true nature, and offering the vampire a new chance at life. This encounter crushed the vampire’s ego, forcing him to confront the superficiality and vanity of his previous life. He realized that his prior devotion to religion was merely lip service. In reality, he had always followed “the gods of most men. Food, drink, and security in conformity.”
Christianity makes claims about morality using the authority of an omnipotent God. However, here, the vampire sees that, even though religion might provide him with guidance, it is not what drives him. He may want to be a good person, but not as much as he wants to be satiated and feel like he is part of a community. This moment is the beginning of a prolonged existential crisis that will take the vampire much of the book to work through. It opens up questions about how morals are formed and whether they are as absolute as the vampire previously believed.
Themes
Lestat explains to the vampire—who is weak and still in the process of transforming—that he wants Pointe du Lac. The vampire realizes that Lestat holds his life in his hands, so he allows him to take control of the plantation. Lestat kills the overseer of the plantation and then brings his father, a human, to live there. Lestat’s father does not know Lestat’s true nature because he is blind, and Lestat lies to him. Although Lestat is typically kind to his father, he grows verbally abusive whenever his father questions where he goes at night.
Lestat’s reason for making the owner of Pointe du Lac into a vampire is one that will be called into question throughout the novel. Here, Lestat’s treatment of his father demonstrates Lestat’s emotional immaturity. Additionally, the fact that he is willing to take care of his father at all suggests that he is still attached to the life he lived as a human.
Themes
The vampire feels immense guilt over the overseer’s death and claims he wants to die. In response, Lestat begins draining blood from his throat, causing the vampire to change his mind. In the telling of his story, it is here that the vampire reveals his name for the first time: Louis. That evening, Louis watches his final sunset before being transformed for good.
Louis reveals his real name in the story just as he is turning into a vampire, suggesting that he marks his transformation as a new beginning. Similarly, the sun going down represents the end of Louis’s human life. Louis will never see the sun again because, although Rice’s vampires do not fear artificial light, natural light will kill them.
Themes
In order for the transformation to be complete, Lestat drains all of Louis’s blood. Then, Lestat slits his own wrist and allows Louis to drink from it. Louis compares the experience to sexual pleasure. When the process is finished, Louis’s mortal life is over. That night, he has to share a coffin with Lestat because Lestat does not have a second coffin for Louis to sleep in. The two vampires sleep face to face, an experience that both disturbs and excites Louis.
Interview with the Vampire is often classed as a homoerotic work, even though there is no sex in the novel. As far back as the 18th century, vampirism was often used as a metaphor for sex, particularly deviant sex. Here, something similar is happening, as Lestat and Louis share bodily fluids and then sleep in the same shared space.
Themes
Back in the present, Louis takes a moment to dispel a few myths about vampires to the boy. He informs him that vampires do not fear crosses or stakes through the heart. Additionally, while vampires do have some supernatural abilities—such as being able to move faster than the human eye can discern—they cannot turn into mist.
Again, Rice is taking the opportunity to explain how her vampires differ from the vampires of the past. In particular, she is subverting many of the tropes that began in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which remains the best-known vampire novel.
Themes
Returning to the past, Louis describes killing a man for the first time. Lestat finds a group of runaway enslaved people and waits until one is isolated from the others. Then, he encourages Louis to kill the man. Louis immediately freezes up and cannot bring himself to do what Lestat asks. Irritated, Lestat kills the man himself and drains his blood quickly. Because Louis took too long, the other runaways were alerted to Louis and Lestat’s position. The vampires retreat into the trees and wait for another person to separate from the group. When this happens, Lestat grabs the man and exposes his neck to Louis, demanding that Louis kill him and drain his blood. This time, Louis does as Lestat asks.
Louis's hesitation to kill reflects his desire to retain his humanity, which contrasts sharply with Lestat’s predatory nature. When Louis does give in and feed on the enslaved man, he is giving into his vampiric identity and sacrificing some of his humanity. Additionally, this is a moment that begins a pattern of behavior that will be a constant with Lestat throughout the novel: not only does he prey on humans, but he specifically targets vulnerable groups, such as enslaved people.
Themes
In the present, Louis reflects on his anger at Lestat for how Lestat approached being a vampire and a mentor. Louis knows that Lestat could have made his transition into being a vampire far more pleasant. However, Lestat had no interest in doing so. Additionally, Lestat takes great pleasure in killing, which Louis cannot understand. He feels Lestat kills humans hedonistically, minimizing the importance of human life and the sacrosanct process of draining human blood.
Louis describes the ecstasy of feeding on a human in almost sacred terms. However, he knows this is necessarily paradoxical, as he cannot stop himself from thinking that the very act that keeps him alive is immoral. He lived most of his life as a human up to this point, so it is not easy for him to treat his former way of life as if it is disposable. Meanwhile, at least on the surface, Lestat cares nothing for morality; he only hopes to satisfy himself.
Themes
Louis describes his first kill in detail. As he drinks the runaway enslaved person’s blood, he grows increasingly ravenous because the experience is so euphoric. Eventually, Lestat has to pull him away from the man. Lestat warns Louis that continuing to drink blood from someone after they are already dead will kill a vampire. Additionally, drinking too much blood at once—which Louis already has—makes vampires sick.
Here, Rice retains a quality that runs throughout much of vampire literature: not only is drinking blood ad enjoyable experience, but it is so euphoric that the vampire risks losing control of themselves. Although this is a violent process, it is also described in erotic terms, mixing sex and violence in a way that is confusing and, perhaps, not recognizable to the vampires themselves.
Themes
After, Louis and Lestat return to the plantation. Lestat tells Louis he wants to show him a trick. Then, Lestat finds a rat, slits its throat, catches its blood in a wine glass, and drinks it. Although the entire process disgusts Louis, Lestat warns him that he will have to get used to it, as vampires often have to feed on rats and other animals. Lestat delivers this lesson with his typical arrogant and unsympathetic attitude, which makes Louis mad.
Louis’s reaction to Lestat’s “trick” with the rat shows his continued disgust with vampire life. His discomfort is indicative of a lingering attachment to human sensibilities and his revulsion at the idea of feeding on certain kinds of animals. However, notably, feeding on a rat is not morally repulsive to Louis, it simply seems disgusting because it is not something humans do.
Themes
Louis threatens to throw Lestat and Lestat’s father out of Pointe du Lac. Lestat simply laughs and reminds Louis that he does not know all of the rules to being a vampire yet. Lestat suggests that Louis will die without him around as a mentor. Seeing his point but still angry, Louis takes his coffin (he has secured his own coffin at this point) and sleeps in a different room. Lestat warns Louis not to do anything stupid, as the sun will kill him if he is not careful.
Lestat is able to retain control over Louis by withholding information from him. As long as there is information Louis does not know about being a vampire, Lestat remains his master. Although Lestat could take on more of a fatherly role in Louis’s life, he refuses. Instead, he acts like a tyrant to ensure he can inextricably tie Louis to him.
Themes
Even though Louis resents Lestat, he knows Lestat is good to have around for practical matters. However, Louis grows annoyed that Lestat spends absurd amounts of money decorating the plantation, often for the supposed good of Lestat’s father. Lestat’s father says he does not care about nice things and simply wants to move back to their old farm where he can be with their friends. Louis considers asking Lestat’s father where they came from so he might learn where he might find other vampires, but does not want to risk upsetting the man, which would in turn anger Lestat.
Even when Lestat claims he is doing something nice for someone else, he is really just feeding his own hedonistic desires. Such is the case with how he decorates Pointe du Lac. The way Lestat’s father speaks suggests that he is used to far less extravagant circumstances, meaning Lestat did not grow up wealthy like Louis. Now that Lestat has access to wealth, he spends frivolously, trying to fill the void within himself.
Themes
Lestat and Louis regularly host people at the plantation. Louis notes that Lestat is exceedingly polite to his guests, even though he often murders them. Louis admits that he prefers Lestat’s mix of politeness and violence to rudeness, which he does not feel he could tolerate. Louis knows Lestat has a vicious side that often comes out when guests are not around, and he tries to keep it at bay. For his part, Louis only feeds on animals.
Here, Rice satirizes stereotypical Southern hospitality, suggesting that Southern politeness is merely a cover for something much darker. Although Louis also knows that murder is wrong, it does not bother him as much as the notion of being impolite. The “morals” Louis clings to are really just forms of social etiquette, and he doesn’t grapple with high-stakes concerns such as the consequences of murder.
Themes
To try to make the boy better understand Lestat, Louis tells a story about when Lestat became infatuated with a young man with the surname Freniere. Lestat and Louis regularly watched the Freniere family without them knowing, which Louis describes as one of the great pleasures of being a vampire. Lestat becomes obsessed with the young Freniere and watches him all of the time but does not cause him harm at first. However, one day, Lestat learns that the young Freniere is going to take part in a duel. At this point, Lestat decides he wants to kill the young Freniere and suck his blood before anyone else can touch him.
Here, the vampires take on a voyeuristic role that, again, has sexual undertones. Lestat’s desire for the young Freniere eventually becomes possessive, even though they have never actually interacted. Lestat’s obsessive desire spills over into violence and intimate contact, as Lestat sucks the young Freniere’s blood. Although Lestat likes to present himself as the one who is in charge, it appears he has less control over himself than he would like to admit in this instance.
Themes
Despite Louis’s efforts to stop him, Lestat kills the young Freniere, leaving the family devastated. This incident makes Louis realize just how much Lestat hates the living. For Lestat, being a vampire is about revenge against life itself. He finds satisfaction only in taking from others, never appreciating anything for its own sake. This consuming hatred leaves Lestat perpetually dissatisfied, as he constantly seeks new victims and conquests.
Lestat’s actions suggest a deep nihilism. His hatred for the living and his need for revenge indicate a deeper psychological torment and a rejection of life’s inherent value. This rejection could be interpreted as is a rection to his own struggle with identity and purpose as a vampire, someone who is caught between life and death.
Themes
Louis returns to the Freniere plantation and reveals himself to Babette, the eldest Freniere daughter. Because Louis has watched the Freniere family for some time, he has grown quite fond of Babette and wants to help her. Louis speaks to Babette, telling her about her the young Freniere’s bravery and death. Louis urges her to take control of the plantation and not let anyone convince her otherwise. Babette listens intently and, believing Louis, watches as he seemingly vanishes (though really, he just moves too quickly for her to see). Soon after, Babette becomes the neighborhood scandal by choosing to run the plantation herself. However, no word ever gets out about what really happened to the young Freniere.
Louis’s fondness for Babette indicates that, despite his transformation into a vampire, he retains a sense of empathy and a moral compass. This sets him apart from Lestat, whose actions are driven by hatred and a desire for revenge against the living. By encouraging Babette to assume leadership, Louis not only empowers her but also disrupts the traditional gender roles of the time. For her part, Babette trusts Louis because he appears to be more of a helpful presence than a harmful one.
Themes
Louis and Lestat’s relationship remains strained, and they stop talking for some time after the young Freniere’s death. Still, they live together, along with Lestat’s father, at Pointe du Lac. The enslaved people on the plantation, primarily islanders from Santo Domingo, are suspicious of Louis and Lestat. They are culturally distinct, speaking African languages and French patois, and maintaining their traditions.
Lestat’s violent desire to feed on the young Freniere is in direct conflict with Louis’s desire to please Babette, which leads to their falling out. While they are focused on their own disputes, they largely overlook the thoughts and needs of those who they enslave.
Themes
Louis hears a conversation through the open doors of the overseer’s cottage that convinces him that he and Lestat are in real danger. The enslaved workers now know they are not ordinary mortals. The maids describe seeing Louis and Lestat dine on empty plates and lifting empty glasses to their lips. They also talk about seeing Lestat’s coffin and how he had beaten one of them for dawdling by his room’s windows. The enslaved people plan to destroy the vampires instead of running away because they think Louis and Lestat are the spawn of the Devil.
In addition to the literal vampirism in the book, these instances of sucking the vitality out of other groups—in this case through the exploitation of enslaved peoples’ bodies—are moments of where Rice is using vampirism as a metaphor for various social ills. Louis and Lestat take the enslaved people for granted, preying on and abusing them in much the same way they prey on other people for their blood. Slavery, in this sense, is a form of vampirism, minus the supernatural element.
Themes
Realizing the danger, Louis hurries back to tell Lestat that they must leave the plantation. Lestat resists, citing his father’s grave illness. He threatens to kill all of the enslaved people if necessary. Louis goes to check on Lestat’s father, finding the old man in agony. Lestat plays the spinet loudly, which enrages Louis. They argue but are interrupted by Lestat’s father calling for his son. At first, Lestat refuses to go, filing his nails instead.
Lestat claims he can’t leave because he has to look after his father, but, when his father needs him, he will not go. Here, Lestat is both selfish and childish, though his behavior hints at a genuine unresolved conflict between himself and his father. After all, Lestat is acting a little too much like he does not care. Louis, for his part, is enraged that Lestat seems to torture his father so, letting him suffer and making his suffering worse by, for instance, playing music loudly.
Themes
At that moment, Daniel, the overseer, arrives, looking at Louis with fear and suspicion. Lestat’s father continues to plead with Lestat, who remains indifferent. Louis, posing as Lestat, comforts the old man, who mistakes him for his son. The old man speaks of a teacher who saw potential in Lestat and curses himself for taking Lestat out of school. Lestat tells Louis to kill the old man, but Louis refuses, demanding Lestat forgive his father or kill him himself. Lestat reluctantly offers a strained forgiveness. Then, Louis kills Lestat’s father gently, and he also kills Daniels in an attempt to stop a full-on revolt. However, the enslaved people revolt anyway.
Lestat’s father’s choice to take Lestat out of school suggests that Lestat grew up poor, and that Lestat had to work instead of receive an education. It seems Lestat has never forgiven his father for this act, which explains their current dynamic. Meanwhile, Louis’s act of posing as Lestat to comfort the old man speaks to his lingering empathy. Unlike Lestat, he does not want to give up the qualities that keep him feeling somewhat human. However, when his life is on the line, Louis shows himself capable of inflicting violence on others to survive.
Themes
As a result, Lestat and Louis decide to leave the plantation. Before they leave, Louis sets fire to Pointe du Lac, ensuring its destruction. Then, the vampires bring their coffins to Babette’s place at the Freniere plantation. Lestat expects that Louis plans to kill Babette. Instead, Louis asks Babette for help and warns Lestat against harming her. When Babette sees Louis, she is wary. However, after Louis reminds her that he once helped her in her time of need, Babette decides to let him and Lestat stay.
Louis’s decision to set fire to Pointe du Lac represents a decisive break from his past and a symbolic destruction of his former life. This act of arson underscores the transformative and violent nature of his existence as a vampire, as well as the necessity of leaving behind his human ties. Meanwhile, Lestat’s expectation that Louis will kill Babette highlights Lestat's ruthless and pragmatic approach to their survival.
Themes
In the present, the boy asks Louis about Babette. The boy can tell Louis was in love with her, which surprises him. He did not suspect that vampires could feel love. Louis assures him that he feels love just like humans do. He refers to Babette as his first love, but not his greatest one. He suggests that this greater one will be talked about in more detail later in his story.
The boy’s questions reflect an understanding of vampires that comes from the tradition of Dracula. However, Louis’s response demonstrates how Rice is making a new kind of vampire with emotional depth. Because of his emotional depth, Louis appears as though he is still more human than vampire, even if he has been a vampire for hundreds of years by the time he is talks to the boy.
Themes
Returning to the past, Babette shows Louis and Lestat to a room they can use. Louis warns Babette not to let anyone in during the day. He is fairly certain that Babette sees him and Lestat unloading their coffins but decides he must trust her, as he has no other choice. Once everything is settled, Louis and Lestat go to sleep. When they wake up, they find that Babette has locked them in the room. However, otherwise, no one has disturbed their slumber. Lestat is irate that Babette locked them in and, as usual, he wants to resort to violence. However, Louis is convinced that Babette will help them, and he again warns Lestat not to harm her.
Because Babette likely sees Louis and Lestat unloading their coffins, she has some power over them. If she suspects their true nature, she could leave them to die. Her decision to lock them in the room while they sleep is ambiguous, as it could be either protective or precautionary. Lestat’s inclination toward violence contrast with Louis’s belief in Babette’s goodwill, reinforcing the difference in temperament and morals between them.
Themes
Once it is fully dark, Babette opens the door to the room where the vampires are staying. At this point, she has heard what happened at Pointe du Lac, and she knows that Louis is the plantation’s owner. Much to Louis’s dismay, she suspects he is the devil. Louis assures Babette that he means her no harm and simply needs transportation. However, when Babette hesitates, Lestat quickly steps in and threatens to kill her if she does not give them what they want. Louis gets Lestat to back down, but the entire encounter is too much for Babette. She becomes fully convinced that the vampires are the spawn of Satan.
Babette, like the boy in the present, has ideas about vampires and the supernatural that do not necessarily conform with the realities of Louis’s situation. For Babette, these ideas come explicitly from religion, as she states that Louis has become something that is fundamentally unholy. This is a hurtful and important moment for Louis, who is struggling to hold on to his humanity. Here, the person he loves is telling him that he is inherently evil.
Themes
Still, Babette lets the vampires out of the room and together, Lestat and Louis escape. Before they leave, Louis tries to convince Babette that he only ever meant to help her, but he can see in her eyes that it is too late for him to change her mind. Louis and Lestat travel to New Orleans, where Lestat decides they should start a new life. Louis loathes Lestat and does not want to stay with him, but he also does not know where he would go otherwise. He begins thinking of an exit strategy because he does not think he can put up with Lestat for much longer.
Louis’s attempt to justify his actions to Babette reveals his need for validation, which Babette refuses to give him. Because Babette will not accept him, he is forced to stay with Lestat, someone who he resents and who represents darkness and immorality. Although he wants to free himself from Lestat, who is largely responsible for the destruction of Pointe du Lac, at the moment Louis has nowhere else to go.
Themes
