66 pages • 2 hours read
The Vampire Lestat
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Symbols & Motifs
Beauty
Beauty, as a motif, develops the theme of The Importance of the Arts. For instance, the frescos that Marius paints around Those Who Must Be Kept are beautiful: “The beauty was too soothing, too grand” (386). Lestat is frequently overwhelmed by beauty—not only the beauty of visual art, but also of music. Lestat’s ongoing appreciation for beauty enables him to remain in touch with his more human emotions, helping him to feel connected to humanity even as a vampire.
Becoming a vampire also allows Lestat to find beauty in the everyday and strange. For instance, he notices that “even the rats shooting past in the dark had a curious beauty” (93). Many of the vampires are described as beautiful, just like many of the human characters. For instance, Louis has an “unusual beauty and unfailing charm” (498). Beauty thus offers a means by which vampires and humans can still remain connected to one another.
Angels
The symbolism of angels in the novel reflects The Tensions Between Good and Evil. Marius paints angels after he becomes a vampire, and Anne Rice describes almost all of her vampires as angels.
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