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Part 3, Pages 277-318
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
Together, Armand and Louis travel the world, but Louis always feels a vague desire to return to New Orleans. Many years later, close to the present day, Armand reveals to Louis that Lestat survived the fire at the Théâtre des Vampires and is in New Orleans. He did not share this information with Louis previously because he was afraid it would cause Louis to return to the past Armand was trying to help him escape. This revelation spurs Louis to return to New Orleans, where he feels a strange sense of homecoming. In New Orleans, Louis sees familiar sights and feels a mix of sadness and nostalgia. He encounters a young vampire and follows him to find Lestat, who is now a broken and fearful figure, living in squalor. Louis realizes that Lestat is dying of fear and an inability to adapt to the modern world.
Again, Armand demonstrates a willingness to lie and deceive if it gets him what he wants. The fact that he eventually tells Louis the truth only indicates that Louis has become less useful to him and therefore disposable. Louis’s visit with Lestat is reminiscent of how Armand previously described a dying vampire. Because Lestat has no one to keep him vibrant, he has no reason to keep up with the modern world. The end result of Lestat’s despondency is his current living situation, which does not at all resemble the decadence he used to demand.
Themes
Louis talks to Lestat, who is desperate for comfort and companionship. Lestat begs Louis to stay with him, claiming they can be together again just like they used to be. However, although Louis is glad that he came to see Lestat, he knows he cannot stay with him. He bids farewell to Lestat and leaves, feeling a profound sadness but also a sense of finality.
Although Louis and Lestat do not reunite, they do finally get to share a farewell that does not end with a building being burned to the ground. Still, Lestat’s current state suggests that he will not last much longer, which is why Louis theorized to the boy that Lestat is likely dead earlier in the novel.
Themes
After, Louis tells Armand about seeing Lestat, and they discuss the meaning of their existence. Armand admits that he hoped seeing Lestat would revitalize Louis. Armand feels that Louis has been dead to the world since Claudia’s death, which Louis admits is true. However, seeing Lestat does not help Louis; it is a moment of closure, but it does not breathe life back into him.
Again, Armand can only think about his own needs. He wanted Louis because he thought Louis’s vitality could keep him alive. However, because Claudia died, Louis has lost what remained of his vibrant humanity, making him no longer useful to Armand.
Themes
In a final desperate attempt to get emotion out of Louis, Armand reveals that he killed Claudia. However, Louis is indifferent to the admission. Eventually, Armand leaves Louis, disappearing without a trace. Shortly after, a young vampire, Lestat’s latest child, seeks Louis’s guidance, but Louis threatens to destroy him. Feeling overwhelmed by sorrow, Louis leaves New Orleans, seeking a place where nothing is familiar, and nothing matters. This is what led him to the boy.
Although it seems likely Armand is telling the truth, there is no definitive proof that he killed Claudia. Armand is known for his tendency to manipulate, so he could simply be lying to anger Louis. Either way, his words fail to connect with Louis, who is too dead to the world to care about what happened in the past. The only meaningful thing Louis has left to do is to tell his story to the boy, who will hopefully find some value in his tale.
Themes
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In the present, the boy is stunned and silent, staring at Louis. After a moment, the boy reacts with frustration, questioning why the Louis’s story had to end in despair, given the love and passion he experienced. Louis responds with a dry laugh and insists that the ending was inevitable. The boy refuses to accept this, expressing his desire to experience Louis’s power. Louis reacts with anger, grabbing the boy and asking if he truly understands what he is asking for. The boy, trembling and on the verge of tears, claims that Louis has forgotten what it means to be human.
Here, it becomes evident that the boy did not learn anything from Louis’s story. Because vampiric power is so enticing, the boy cannot help but want to experience it, even if it means eventually ending up like Louis. The boy’s reaction is particularly frustrating for Louis because Louis thought he was telling a cautionary tale. However, as it turns out, only experience can override the desire for vampiric power. Unfortunately, by the time one experiences it, it is already too late.
Themes
Louis, expressing frustration and a sense of failure, decides to give the boy a taste of the vampire experience. He bites the boy, drinking his blood until the boy is unconscious, and then he leaves. When the boy regains consciousness, he is disoriented but eventually pulls himself together, checks his watch, and listens to the recorded interview. He takes notes on the vampire’s description of a location associated with Lestat. The boy then gathers his belongings and leaves, determined to find Lestat based on what Louis told him.
Biting the boy is Louis’s way of warning the boy to stay away from vampires. However, even the threat of violence and death cannot keep the boy away from seeking power. The allure of the vampire is too strong, as the novel ends with the boy seeking out Lestat, presumably to get Lestat to turn him into a vampire. This ending suggests that the tragedy of the novel is cyclical. The boy may soon become a vampire, and only then will he learn what it truly means to be lonely.
Themes
