American literature essay. Literary analysis of works and characters - Sykalo Evgen 2023

Interview with the Vampire: The Burden of Immortality: A Look at Louis de Pointe du Lac's Existential Crisis
Anne Rice

The Gothic classic Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice delves on issues of love, loss, and immortality via the perspective of Louis de Pointe du Lac, a vampire adjusting to his new life.

The narrative is propelled forward by Louis's existential dilemma. He cannot reconcile the differences between his monstrous present and his human past. He struggles with issues related to existence's fundamental nature, meaning, and purpose.

The flashback is one of the main literary methods that Rice uses to examine Louis's problem. The book is set up like an interview between Daniel Molloy, a young reporter, and Louis. Louis regularly travels back in time to significant junctures in his life story. These flashbacks shed light on his character growth and show where his existential turmoil came from.

Symbolism is another crucial literary device. Rice depicts Louis's inner turmoil using a range of symbols. The vampire itself is the most noticeable sign; it stands for Louis's own death and the end of his human life. Other symbols are the crucifix, which stands for his desire for atonement, and the mirror, which symbolizes his self-loathing and the darkness within of him.

Louis's existential dilemma shows up in a variety of ways throughout the book. He goes through times of severe despair and loneliness. He searches for purpose in life and wonders where he fits in the world. At one point, he even considers ending his life.

Louis is in a hopeless situation, but he never loses up completely. He keeps looking for solutions to his existential problems. He finds comfort in the beauty of the natural world and in human interactions. He even looks for significance in his own pain.

Louis eventually accepts that he is a vampire. He discovers a way to cope with his existential dilemma and even finds happiness in his eternal existence. He still bears the weight of immortality, though, which serves as a continual reminder of the cost he must pay to live forever.

Louis's Existential Crisis: An Examination of the Persona

The character of Louis de Pointe du Lac is intriguing and multifaceted. Although he is a victim of his circumstances, he actively contributes to his own demise. Though he sometimes takes decisions that take him down a dark path, he is also very loving and compassionate.

Louis is experiencing an existential crisis due to several circumstances. He is a contradictory creature. He is both victim and predator, human and monster. He is afraid of turning into a monster, but he also yearns for human connection.

Louis's own self-loathing exacerbates his dilemma even more. He holds himself responsible for the deaths of the people he loves and for his own metamorphosis into a vampire. He believes he is a monster who is not deserving of love or forgiveness.

Louis is nonetheless a very human figure in spite of his shortcomings. He is a really compassionate and loving person. He is also able to develop and change. By the book's finale, Louis has learned to accept his lot in life and has even begun to find some purpose in living forever.

In summary

The human condition is powerfully explored in Interview with the Vampire. Rice poses significant queries regarding life, death, and the purpose of existence via the lens of Louis's existential crisis. The book is a tale of hope and redemption as well as a warning against the perils of immortality.