Violent Affection: Romanticized Violence in Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire
Author
Summary, in English
Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire (1976) reshaped the vampire genre
by combining Gothic horror with BDSM elements. The novel explores the
tension between aesthetics and ethics, where violence is presented as both
intimate and seductive. Key relationships, such as between Louis and
Lestat, show power dynamics defined by submission and control. These
dynamics are expressed through vivid, sensual language, adding emotional
depth to the story. Rice’s portrayal of violence reflects themes from her
earlier BDSM fiction, where pain and pleasure are linked to identity and
guilt. The novel shifts vampire fiction from traditional horror to emotional
and erotic complexity. A central theme is audience complicity, where both
the characters and readers become part of the violent spectacle. They
romanticize or overlook the true cost of violence. By integrating BDSM into
mainstream fiction, Rice paved the way for other works to explore similar
themes. Her influence is seen in how vampires are portrayed in literature
and popular culture. Interview with the Vampire continues to shape the
genre, challenging traditional views of vampires and violence
by combining Gothic horror with BDSM elements. The novel explores the
tension between aesthetics and ethics, where violence is presented as both
intimate and seductive. Key relationships, such as between Louis and
Lestat, show power dynamics defined by submission and control. These
dynamics are expressed through vivid, sensual language, adding emotional
depth to the story. Rice’s portrayal of violence reflects themes from her
earlier BDSM fiction, where pain and pleasure are linked to identity and
guilt. The novel shifts vampire fiction from traditional horror to emotional
and erotic complexity. A central theme is audience complicity, where both
the characters and readers become part of the violent spectacle. They
romanticize or overlook the true cost of violence. By integrating BDSM into
mainstream fiction, Rice paved the way for other works to explore similar
themes. Her influence is seen in how vampires are portrayed in literature
and popular culture. Interview with the Vampire continues to shape the
genre, challenging traditional views of vampires and violence
Department/s
Publishing year
2025
Language
English
Full text
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Document type
Student publication for Bachelor's degree
Topic
- Languages and Literatures
Keywords
- Anne Rice
- Interview with the Vampire
- Gothic literature
- Vampire fiction
- Contemporary Gothic
- Modern Gothic novel
- Horror literature
- Aestheticization of violence
- Violence and eroticism
- Power and submission
- Voyeurism
- Theatricality and violence
- Gothic spectacle
- Non-normative sexuality
- Queer Gothic
- Gender and sexuality
- BDSM in literature
- Surveillance and performance
- The uncanny
- Gothic affect
- Psychoanalysis and horror
- Trauma and fantasy
- Literary adaptation and cinema
- Freud and the uncanny
- Edmund Burke and the sublime
- Ames on vampire narratives.
Supervisor
- Cian Duffy (Professor)