novel to film homosexuality in interview with the vampire.docx
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noveltofilmhomosexualityininterviewwiththevampire
NoveltoFilm:
HomosexualityinInterviewwiththeVampire
XiaoyiHuang
In1976,AnneRicepublishedhernovelInterviewWiththeVampire;inthenovel,shedepictsvampireslikehumanbeingsandnotlikesomebrutalandshallow-brainedmonsters.Thesevampireshaveaffectionsandsentiments,whichmeanthattheycanthink,imagineandunderstandacceptance.Throughthesesimilaritiesbetweenvampiresandhumans,Riceexploreshumannaturesthroughexploringvampirenatureandrepresentingconflictbetweenthepublicandgaypeople.ShefocusesonthepainofsolitudeintherealworldbyportrayingtheconflictbetweenvampiresandhumansandtheconflictbetweenimmortalityandlonelinessinafictitiousworldwhichRicecreatesinthenovel.In1994,18yearsafterinitialpublication,NeilJordanproducedthefilmdepictionofInterviewWithTheVampirebuthedilutestheconflictbetweenhumansandvampireswhileaccentingtheconflictbetweenthevampirenatureandhumannaturebyaddingoromittingsomeplots.
Thereisnodoubtreaderscanundothenovelandfilmthroughdifferentaspects,andIamgoingtofocusonhomosexualityinthetexts.Neitherthenovelnorthefilmdiscussedhomosexualitydirectly,whichisassociatedwithvampirismallalong.Infact,therearethreewaystoshowwhyhomosexualityisequivalenttovampirism.Thefirstreasonisthatthebloodrelationbetweenvampiresisequivalenttosexualrelationbetweenhumans,becausevampiresandhumansmultiplybysuckingbloodandsexualintercourserespectively.Inaddition,vampiresgainpleasureandpeacefromsuckingbloodashumansdofromsexualintercourse.Vampires,likeLestat,teasetheirvictimsbycaressingandevenflirtingbeforesucking;vampires’reactionstothesuckingaresimilartohumans’reactionstosexualintercourse.WhenLouissucksaboy’sblood,“Isankmyteethintohisskin,mybodyrigid,thathardsexdrivingagainstme,andIliftedhiminpassionoffthefloor.Waveafterwaveofhisbeatingheartpassedintomeas,weightless,Irockedwithhim,devouringhim,hisecstasy,hisconsciouspleasure”(Rice185).Thesecondreasonisthatgaypeoplesometimesneedtohidetheiridentities,similartohowvampiresmusthidefromsunlight.Asaresult,bothgaypeopleandvampiresmightfeellonelyduetotheirpositionasminoritiesinsociety.Vampiresneedtoconcealthemselveslikehomosexuals,butvampiresmusthidetoamuchmorepotentdegree.Vampiressleepincoffinsduringdaytimeandsearchforpreysatnight.Oncetheyexposethemselvestosunlight,theywillturntothedust.Itisakindofexaggerationofhomosexuals’actions.Gaypeoplehideinto“closets”,andtheycanonlyrevealtheirsexualorientationsto“theirkind”.Thesimilarityinthetwominoritiesisintheirneedtohideinfromthepubliceye.WhenLouisdoesn’thavehisowncoffinhereported,“IbeggedLestattoletmestayinthecloset,buthelaughed,astonished.‘Don’tyouknowwhatyouare?
’heasked,”whichdemonstrateshisneedtostayoutoflight.(Rice20).Thelastreasonisthatbothhomosexualsandvampiresareregardedasfreakstothepublic.Vampiresarealwaysportrayedasmercilesskillerssopeopleconsidervampiresashorriblecreatures.Whatpeopleshowtovampiresarefearandhatred.Suchisthecaseofundeservedhatred,Louisgoestowardthepriest,whoshowshishatredonhisface.“Hisfaceinfuriatedme,hisfear,hiscontempt,hisrage.IsawinitallthehatredIhadseeninBabette,andhehissedatme,‘Letmego!
Devil!
’insheermortalpanic”(Rice117).Asforhomosexuals,theyweremisunderstoodoracceptedbypublicbefore1970s,“PoliceraidsofhomosexualbarswerecommoninNewYorkandotherAmericancitiesinthe1960s”(ArmstrongandCrage724).
NeilJordan’sfilmtakesAnneRice’snovelandchangesitbyexpressingthehomosexualityambiguously.Hereduceseroticismbutfocusesmoreonloveinhomosexuality,whichsuggeststhathomosexualityisunderstoodmorethanbefore,butalsoemphasizeshomophobiareachingahigherlevel,inordertoshowthatculturalviewsofhomosexualityhavechangedaftertwodecades.
InRice’snovel,themaincharacterLouisisavampirewhoalwaysmaintainshumannature.HeevenlovesamortalgirlcalledBabette.Louisisthemosttorturedvampireinthisnovel,becausehefeelsguiltyabouthisidentityandhisactionsyethehasnocapacitytocastoffhisvampirenature,histhirstforbloodandhisneedforpleasureofsucking.Hecannotpersuadehimselftokillwithoutanymercy,buthedoesenjoythefeelof“another'slifeforcertain,andoftentheexperienceofthelossofthatlifethroughtheblood,slowly(Rice23)."Ricedescribesthisconflicttopleadforhomosexuals,becausehomosexualsfaceasimilarconflict.Thehomosexualorientationisamatterofgenetics,butitwasmisunderstoodasanethicalsin.In1970s,aftertheStonewallRiotsandtheestablishmentofGayActivistsAlliance,homosexualsbegantostrugglefortheirrightsandtoattempttochangethepublicviewsofhomosexuals.“In1973,theAmericanPsychiatricAssociationfinallyremovedhomosexualityfromitsDiagnosticandStatisticalManual.InthesameyeartheLambdaLegalDefenseandEducationFundwasfoundedandhasbeenanimportantlegaladvocacygroupforGLBTQpeopleeversince,”whichshowsthemajorstepstakenforhomosexuals(Eaklor2008).Thus,Ricedefendshomosexualsinhernovel,publishedin1976.Intheearlierpartofthenovel,LouislovesagirlnamedBabetteafterwitnessingherbrotherbeingkilledbyLestat.AfterthishebeginstohelphermanageFreniereplantation,herfamily’splantation.However,asuddenrealizationgivesherjustenoughreasontoquestionandsuggest,“‘Whatareyou!
’shewhispered.‘You'refromthedevil.Youwerefromthedevilwhenyoucametome’”(Rice52).LouisneverhurtsBabetteandinsteadprotectsandhelpsher,butBabettestillcurseshimjustbecauseofthedifferencesbetweenvampiresandhumans.Babette'sreactionsissimilartothosetriggeredbyhomophobia.“A1969HarrisSurveyconcludedthatmorethan60percentofthepublicbelievedthathomosexualitywasharmfultoAmericanlife.Fouryearslater,halfofthesocietyfeltthathomosexualitycouldcausethedownfallofcivilization”(Dressler80).Peopledon’tunderstandgays,butchoosetofeelsickofthem.Therefore,Louisisafittingrepresentativeofinnocenthomosexuals,whoonlyseekothers'understandings.InJordan’sfilm,Louisisstillamercifulvampire,butJordanreplacesBabettewithYvette,whoisamaidservantofLouisandcaresaboutLouis.WhenLouisandLestathuntinLouis'splantation,PointeduLarc,whichcauseswidespreaddeathandsuspicionsamongslavesthatLouisisadevil.Yet,YvettestillcaresaboutLouisdespitehersuspicionofirregularitiesasLouisseldomeatsanddeathisprevalent.ComparingtheYvette'sandBarbette'swayoftreatmentofLouis,afterlearningofhisabnormality,onecanseetheprogresshomosexualitymadeoverthefewyears.
LestatisanothermalevampireinInterview,whoisbad-tempered,impatientvampirewithendlessdesire.Heholdscontemptforhumanlifeandtakesthemawaywithoutrespect.LestatistheconverterofLouis,whocarriesanunspeakabledesireforhisnew"son."
“LestattemptsLouisintothedarkworldofhisdesireinordertoreplacethefriendshehaslost;tocreateapartnerwithwhomhecansharethewatchesofthenight;tobe'kept'bythefriendwhohasthemoneytosupporthiseverywhim.Hecanhardlyadmitthisdesireorshowhislove,becauseLouisisalreadytrappedwiththerhetoricoflossthathasdomesticatedhisdesireforhisbrotherasmourningandhasplacedhiminapositionvulnerabletothepowerofLestat’sseductionbutimmunetotheconsequencesofhisdesire”(Haggerty14).
Therefore,Lestatcanrelievehisdesirethroughbitingandsucking.Hismentalitymakestheprocessofsuckingeroticas,“Hislipsraisedthehairallovermybody,sentashockofsensationthroughmybodythatwasnotunlikethepleasureofpassion”(Rice16).LestatisnotonlytheconverterofLouisbutalsotheconverterofthechildvampire,Claudia.InterviewisastorynarratedbyLouis,sowhatAnneRicewroteiswhatLouisthinks.FromLouis’sperspective,Lestatisnotanattractiveorglamorousguywhenyoulookbeyondhischarmingface.Therefore,LouishardlyevershowslovetoLestat.InordertokeepLouiswithhim,LestatmakesClaudiatoformaweirdfamilyandan“erotictriangle”.Inthisfamily,LouiscallsClaudia“Mybride”,“Lover”and“Daughter”andLestatalsocallsClaudia“ourdaughter.”TheambiguityshowsthehomosexualattractionbetweenLestatandLouisaccordingtoSedgwick’stheoryonhomosociality.AlthoughClaudiaisjustachildwhenshefirstbecomesavampire,consequently,“Thereisnospectralpresenceofadead-undeadmotherhauntingushere,butratherthansympathyfora“daughter”lockedintheoedipalmomentandaprotestagainstthekindoffemininityofferedtowomeninaculture”(DoaneandHodges229).Andinthefilm,JordanaddsascenethatClaudiacutshercurlyhairhysterically,butitimmediatelygrowsbacklonger.LestatpurposefullykeepsClaudia’sfigureasalittledollandmakesherhisandLouis’daughterforever.Ibelievethatthedirectortriestomakethe“erotictriangle”beingmoreambiguousthroughconstrainingClaudiatoalwaysbealovelygirl.Furthermore,LouisjustcallsClaudia“daughter”inJordan’sfilm,sohisdesireforLestatisn’tasclearasthenovelversion.Frommyopinion,thischangeisduetotheincreasedseverehomophobiain1990s,whichdrovehomosexualityfurtherintoobscurity.Anotherbigdifferencebet