Discussion Questions for IWTV
I took these questions from The Anne Rice Book Club Twitter account and the Discord server. I wrote back in the Discord server for the first question, but then I just decided to write in private here in my own personal Google document. They said that they made up these questions as they reread the book.
1. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗪𝗧𝗩 𝗽𝘁 1: New Orleans as a setting is so intertwined with the story, it almost qualifies as its own character. How important is the setting to you? Why? Could you imagine this story taking place elsewhere? Where else? Why?
The setting is quite important to me because it's important to the characters, mainly Lestat. I could not imagine this story taking place elsewhere because New Orleans is so integrated into the story, almost as a lover to the narrator or reader.
2. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗪𝗧𝗩 𝗽𝘁 1: Was Paul mentally ill? Was he actually seeing religious visions? Was he possessed (as the priest suggested)? Was his death an accident? Suicide? Supernatural? Did the witnesses really see him pushed as if "by a wind," or was this a subconscious attempt by them (and, by extension, Louis) to dismiss the idea of suicide?
I think that Paul was at least in some part mentally ill. I personally think that Paul was actually seeing religious visions. He might have been possessed, as the priest suggested. I think that his death was an accident. I think that he believed what he saw and they told him to kill himself to be with the saints. The witnesses said that they saw him pushed as if “by the wind,” because it was their attempt to dismiss the idea of suicide because of all the bad religious consequences of that action.
3. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗪𝗧𝗩 𝗣𝘁 1: Let's talk about Lestat's reticence to discuss vampire origins. What (all) do you think is contributing to this? What symbolism do you see in this struggle between them? Could Lestat be considered a God figure here, because he "refuses" to give answers to the questions of existence? Can Louis then be interpreted as an Adam figure, disobeying his maker by desiring knowledge? What other implications might those symbols have for the characters?
I think Lestat’s reticence to discuss vampire origins has to do with his promise to Marius. I am not sure I see symbolism in this struggle between them. I think that Lestat could indeed be considered a God figure here because he “refuses” to give answers to the questions of existence. Louis could indeed then be interpreted as an Adam figure by disobeying his maker and wanting knowledge. Another implication these symbols have for the characters is how Louis leaves Lestat for Europe, much like how Adam left Eden, or more like God drew him out.
4. 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘐𝘞𝘛𝘝 𝘗𝘵 1: Louis tells Babette Freniere that he doesn't know if the devil exists. Babette then sets him on fire (hell symbolism). The idea of not knowing whether the devil (or god) exists is a recurring one in the Chronicles. How do the vampires in the VC canon attempt to cope with having their religious/spiritual beliefs stripped away? Feel free to reference the book, movie, or TV series if you like!
The vampires in the VC canon attempt to cope with having their religious/spiritual beliefs stripped away by…I am not sure. That really makes me think. Well, I can think of examples from Lestat and Louis. Louis tries to find meaning in his vampirism and Lestat simply lives a hedonistic lifestyle.
5. 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙄𝙒𝙏𝙑 𝙋𝙩 1: The taking and giving of blood is often a sexual metaphor in vampire literature. Given what we know about Rice's life and the inspiration for her characters, is it fair to assume that the making of Claudia (and her inherent doom) was a metaphor for giving oneself over to primal nature and being punished for it (Louis feeding w/o regard for his victim = humans having sex for pleasure and eventually having children)? Do you think Anne knew from the start that Claudia was a doomed figure? How do Claudia's differences from other vampires make her ill-fit for surviving eternity, both as a flesh-and-blood character and as a metaphor?
I think that it is fair to assume that the making of Claudia was a metaphor for giving oneself over to primal nature and being punished for it. It is exactly how the question gives an example: that humans have coitus for pleasure but end up with more mouths to feed. I am not sure if Anne knew from the start that Claudia was a doomed figure. She probably did, considering her mortal age. Claudia’s differences from other vampires make her ill-fit for surviving eternity as a flesh-and-blood character because of her helplessness and how she needs another strong vampire to protect for the rest of her eternity. Claudia’s differences from other vampires make her ill-fit for surviving eternity as a metaphor because this metaphor would be like Claudia is a metaphor for how young people always need an older person to take care of them and can never achieve independence until they are old and strong themselves.
6. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗪𝗧𝗩 𝗣𝘁 1: Does Claudia's decision to kill Lestat mean something different depending on whether Lestat is a god figure or a Lucifer figure? What of the choice to have Lestat's "last meal" be children? Do you think Claudia was at all motivated by romantic love for Louis? Do you think Claudia "killing" Lestat has parallels to Michelle Rice's death changing Anne's perception of her husband, Stan (after whom Lestat was modelled?)
Claudia's decision to kill Lestat means something different depending on whether Lestat is a god figure or a Lucifer figure because if Lestat is a god figure it would mean that she did a bad thing in killing her god, but if Lestat is a Lucifer figure it would mean that she did a good thing in killing something evil. The choice to have Lestat’s “last meal” to be children was kind of weird to me. It was like a connection to Claudia in herself because she is in a child’s body. I think that Claudia was kind of motivated by romantic love for Louis because Louis said that she was his lover. I think that Claudia “killing” Lestat has parallels to Michelle Rice's death changing Anne's perception of her husband, Stan (after whom Lestat was modeled) because maybe she thought that her husband was a monster in some way that I won’t know because that is private information.
Discussion Questions for TVL
1. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗧𝗩𝗟 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲: Lestat explains that he only hunts criminals now, and that the relative ease of living in the 20th century has lessened the pool of criminals. Why do you think he has made the decision to hunt this way, despite it making things difficult? Is it personal ethics as he gets older? Is he (perhaps subconsciously) trying to prove his goodness to Louis? Something else?
I think that Lestat has made the decision to hunt this way because he has adopted Marius’ morals in how he kills. I think it is personal ethics as he grows older because he agrees with what Marius has taught him. Perhaps Lestat is trying to prove his goodness to Louis and to himself because ever since he was younger in his mortal years he had always tried to find ways to be good in his own eyes and sometimes in the eyes of others.
2. 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘛𝘝𝘓 𝘗𝘵 1: Due to this being such a poignant and important element of the story, we're gonna stretch it over two or three posts. To start, tell us what the wolves mean to you. How did this sequence affect you the first time you read it? What did you think it meant? Which of the associated emotions did you identify with? Why?
I think that the wolves mean that Lestat is brave and almost everyone around him values him for fighting off the predators from his village. This sequence affected me the first time I read it because it enhanced the way I see Lestat as a character.
3. 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘛𝘝𝘓 𝘗𝘵 1: Wolves symbolize family or being part of a pack. Wolves have strong community bonds and rely on each other to hunt and to survive. Together, as packs, they are fierce alpha predators. By being sent out alone to kill a pack of wolves, Lestat is symbolically killing off the part of himself that relies on other people for community and survival. He is learning how to live solitarily, both physically and emotionally. He is learning how to be an alpha predator himself, although unlike the wolves, he won't require a "pack" to help him survive. He becomes "Wolfkiller" both in actuality and metaphorically.
4. 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙏𝙑𝙇 𝙋𝙩 1: Lestat has defeated the wolves, compelling him to become the solitary, alpha hunter, whether he desires it or not. In a foreshadowing of his near future, his alpha hunter status has seen him outlive his beloved dogs and his horse, and he is reminded that he will soon outlive his mother, the only person who cares for him. Lestat falls into a depression and, in this way, refuses the Call to Action, a common beat in the Hero's Journey structure, wherein the protagonist tries to ignore the changes being forced upon them. Shortly after, Lestat is gifted the red velvet-and-fur cloak. Red is the color of the root chakra, denoting primal needs such as physical safety and hunger. It is the color of fire (destruction and purification). It is also, most importantly, the color of blood, and therefore the color of sacrifice and martyrdom, but also of vitality and life force. Lestat is at the biggest crossroads of his life.
There's also a connection to Marius, even before Lestat has known about him. They both have a red cloak. I feel like this is a connection of some kind.
5. Nicki represents at least two archetypal roles for Lestat—those of Ally and Mentor. As an Ally archetype, his role is straightforward; he is a friend and support system for Lestat as he is leaving the Ordinary World behind. Nicki is also a Mentor. Lestat has attempted to refuse the call to adventure (shutting down after the wolves), a common element in stories with mythic structure. But Nicki renews Lestat's passion for travel and learning somewhat accidentally) and eventually becomes his guide to navigating the world outside his tiny village. Lestat truly begins to own the Wolfkiller honorific under Nicki's tutelage.
6. Apropos of Lestat, Gabrielle can be seen as what is referred to as the Herald archetype in mythic story structure. The Herald is a character who, usually in the beginning of the story, makes it known to the Hero that there will be some sort of significant change, and somehow helps to set in motion the Hero's desire to embark on their journey. By encouraging Lestat to meet and befriend Nicolas de Lenfent, Gabrielle fulfills the role of Herald. As a character independent of Lestat's journey though, Gabrielle closely aligns with the Huntress archetype. While it may be tempting to see her as a Mother archetype, for obvious reasons, or even a Queen archetype, Gabrielle is a very solitary person, with very solitary interests. She desires to be independent, mentally and physically, especially from men. Gabrielle also embodies the shadow side of the Huntress--emotional detachment and unavailability. We'll be revisiting Gabrielle later in our reading of TVL.
7. After some weeks spent in the theater in Paris, Lestat and Nicki have an argument. During the argument, Nicki tells Lestat, "[...] you think things are possible which aren't possible! At least not for the rest of us. Like killing the wolves..." This is not the first time Lestat has had the incident with the wolves used against him, and it won't be the last. Even though his killing of the wolves was something forced upon him by external circumstances, it dredges up feelings of bitterness and resentment among the men who have previously thought themselves Lestat's superiors in some way; his brothers have considered themselves Lestat's superiors by virtue of age, and now it becomes apparent that, while Nicki is not brazen about it the way Lestat's brothers are, he, too, has considered himself superior to Lestat, likely due to family money and social standing.
What do you think Nicki was hoping for in going to Paris?
Did he know that there was no future for him in music?
Did he think that Lestat would fail as an actor?
Was he angry that his standing as the "superior" of the two was failing?
Consider the parallel between Nicki and Lestat's relationship, and the relationship between Lestat and Louis. Nicki is, on the surface, trying to temper Lestat's expectations, trying to keep him grounded in reality. But there is also an obvious sense of bitterness about Lestat's idealism. Nicki is envious of Lestat's ability to be optimistic even when he is scared and grieving, because Nicki, himself, is depressed and can't compartmentalize fear and grief like that. Later, Lestat treats Louis the same way. Under the guise of realism and pragmatism, he treats Louis with loathing whenever Louis's lingering sense of humanity complicates things. "Oh, not goodness again," [Nicki] said. "You and your malady of mortality, and your malady of goodness."
As a fandom, we sometimes talk about where Lestat got his mentoring style from. We talk about Magnus, Lestat's father, Gabrielle. But we don't tend to make the connection that Lestat treats Louis the same way that Nicki treated Lestat in Paris.
Is it possible that, in treating Louis the way he does, Lestat is, perhaps subconsciously, attempting to lend meaning to the bad parts of his and Nicki's relationship in Paris?
If he makes himself more like Nicki, in the way he mentors another, then perhaps Nicki's melancholy served a purpose. "As I see it," [Nicki] said, "there's weakness and there's strength. And there is good art and bad art. And that is what I believe in. At the moment we are engaged in making what is rather bad art and it has nothing to do with goodness! [...] If goodness does exist, then I'm the opposite of it. I'm evil and I revel in it."
Sound like anyone else we know?
I think Nicki was hoping to learn from the best in Paris and make it as a famous and respected violinist. I don’t think that Nicki knew that there was no future for him in music because I think at first he believed in himself then things happened to make him feel as he did then. I am not sure if Nicki thought that Lestat would fail as an actor. I like to think he believed in him, but then you bring up those quotes Nicki said. He might have been angry that his standing as the "superior" of the two was failing because of their past hierarchy and maybe Nicki got a little annoyed when Lestat’s optimism towards the city wouldn’t dwindle. I suppose that Lestat could be imitating Nicki’s behavior towards Louis to make believe that he is still around, which makes me quite sad. I always thought that Lestat’s mentor was Marius, but there were people who influenced him before Marius. From that last quote I can see that Lestat got some of his idealities from Nicki.
8. Without going into what we learn about Magnus's character in later books, what do you think Magnus represents, here in TVL, when compared to Lestat?
Magnus is physically ugly, without going into what we learn about Magnus's character in later books, what do you think Magnus represents, here in TVL, when compared to Lestat? Magnus is physically ugly, immortality, he has no right to it, he's a thief; fittingly, he steals Lestat's innocence, and his mortal sense of joy.
There are possible parallels between Magnus's money and the money and fame Anne received from writing 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦. 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 was written from a place of grief, and the fame and money may have felt like a ghastly consolation prize somehow, from a horrible master (life, fate, the universe, God), who took Anne's innocence in return. Aside from his physical appearance, and his psychological fortitude, Lestat's grief over the killing of the wolves and what that represents make him a desirable target for Magnus. The way in which mortal Lestat has realized he is (psychologically) alone in the world, both through the experience with the wolves, and through the fact that he has managed to maintain his craving for life despite events that have gone before, is already vampiric in nature. He is already halfway to coping with the changes vampirism will bring, before he is even turned.
Rebirth into vampirism is a rebirth into a loss of innocence. It is no longer being able to rely on the ideals of what you believe your family/friends/community/religion should be to you; but it is also the freedom to be able to move on if and when they let you down, either through death or through genuine or purposeful failure to understand you.
For a carefully chosen fledgling, it is also being stronger for all of it.
Perhaps Lestat has felt "seen" by Magnus for the first time in his life, in a way that he wanted to feel seen by his mother, and wasn't. Perhaps the only person capable of really seeing Lestat is someone who has been through a death and rebirth of their own.
Here in TVL, compared to Lestat, I think Magnus represents Lestat’s loss of innocence that his mortality gave him.
I really like the last line where you used one of the show quotes where Lestat felt “seen” as Louis also felt “seen” when he was made, like a complete circle of life.
9. After Lestat spends some time in Paris adjusting to his new life as a vampire, he decides to visit Nicki again. First, he goes to Nicki's home (where he becomes too scared to show himself), and then later he goes to Renaud's theater, where he reunites with all of his old friends, including Nicki. Up to this juncture, Lestat has made a point to only feed on people he deems deserving of death. But surrounded by the excitement of the theater atmosphere, the intense emotions of his friends, and finally Nicki, he begins to understand that it's quite possibly naive of him to assume that he is capable of meting out the judgment required to differentiate between who is worthy of death at his hands and who isn't. That perhaps his appetite, whether it leads him to the death of criminals or innocents, is no more worthy of judgment--or under his control--than that of an animal.
This insight sends him into a spiral, and he reveals himself on stage, performing physical and vocal stunts that would out him as no longer human. Perhaps it is temporary madness that fuels Lestat's performance, or perhaps he is hoping to be figured out. Perhaps he is hoping there is another Magnus figure in the audience. But the terrified audience, for the most part, only runs from the theater, and his friends struggle to find courage enough not to follow. Afterward, he tells Renaud that it was all a trick, and resorts back to showering all of them with money again.
After his escape from the situation, Lestat waits to find the perfect innocent to kill, and is mesmerized by the difference in how it feels to kill a good person versus a bad person. He now understands that none of his friends are safe from him, including, and especially, Nicki. He ponders again on the earth as what he has come to think of as the Savage Garden.
For Lestat, truth and justice, loyalty and judgment, salvation and damnation, have all ceased to have any objective meaning. To him, they have all become aesthetic ideas only. A form of art. To him, the only objective beauty lies in the uncharted wildernesses of the world, of humanity, and of all the unknowable things, including himself and any other monsters that might exist. The only objective beauty is chaos. Everything else is a judgment call superimposed upon it.
