Liminality in Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire

Abstract

Using the sociocultural lens of Victor Turner, this project will examine the liminal phase of the rites of passage as it is showcased in Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire. In defining liminality, parallels will be made briefly to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein before discussing Turner's understanding of relationships within the liminal phase. It is through this avenue of relationships that Interview with the Vampire's main character, Louis, will be examined as a figure who actively refuses to move past the liminal phase of the rites of passage. This project will analyze each major relationship that Louis is a part of within the course of the novel—the characters of which include: instructor Lestat, vampire-child Claudia, troupe leader Armand, and, finally, interviewer Daniel. In addition, Louis's terminally liminal state will be analyzed through the novel's use of physical setting.