So, Vampires Equal Life?

When last we spoke, I suggested that our True Blood protagonist, Sookie, was experiencing a kind of re-birth by being with Bill, our lead vampire. I claimed that the creation of a vampiric world was to help us stop fearing death and learn to embrace life. So, was I saying that vampires equal life? That throwing off all our inhibitions, diving into our passions, regardless of how violent they are, how uncivil they are, is what life is really about?

Well, no. Not exactly. But it's not sheer coincidence that we Anglo-Saxons became enthralled with vampire stories during the Victorian era. The age of proscribed conversations, buttoned up collars and pent up emotions. It was like a full swing of the pendulum from the barbaric Medieval Era. The British had taken the concept of being civil so far that they seemed to live on auto-pilot, so out of touch with their own passions that they lost compassion. It was the height of the British colonial era. The savagery with which entire cultures were invaded and oppressed in the name of civilization was intense. (It was chilling for me to visit The British Museum of London in the 1980s. A vast collection of artifacts from ancient cultures. Cultures the British had invaded and plundered.)

Yes, I said savagery. That's the point, isn't it? The human experience isn't meant to be so devoid of emotional and physical passion that we're afraid to process our experiences, follow our dreams, or reach out to each other. We aren't supposed to shut off our guts and hearts and become purely intellectual. Sometimes all the trappings of civilization become nothing more than an invisible prison where our fellow citizens are savage guards with their stultifying judgments. We live in fear of being marginalized or cast out. It's savage in it's destruction of the human spirit.

Of course, a vampiric society where, even if there are rules, there is so little regard for the life of another that you live in constant fear, is not desirable either. It's another prison where the guards are the physically strong. We live in fear of being killed. Again resulting in a savage destruction of the human spirit. 

I'm not sure that either world is more or less violent. As Vampire Bill tells Sookie during an argument, "Humans have killed millions upon millions of other humans in senseless wars...." The stories that include vampires killing at the tremendous rate of real life humans are quite rare. While, they are individually violent, perhaps in small packs, they are not usually massively organized like our armies. They don't engage in such calculated mass murder.

So, what are we looking at with our vampire stories? I would say that we're asking ourselves, "What's the right balance?" For Bram Stoker, the balance was about science versus spirituality. He very carefully constructs the investigation into who and what is Dracula. It is made very clear that science alone will not suffice. Neither would religious beliefs. They must be used together to save Mina.

In our contemporary tales of Buffy (you know, the Vampire Slayer) and Sookie, both female protagonists who fall in love with male vampires, it's about the balance of feral and civil. What is it about Angel and Bill that make them more compelling than the many human men who are interested and available?

In True Blood, I find the scene of Sookie and Bill's first kiss to be very evocative. They are taking a walk and talking. Sookie has offered to help Bill find contractors that will come at night to discuss working on his house. He, through a softening of facial expression and body language, appears touched by her generosity of spirit. He's struggling to 'mainstream' and worries about being accepted by humans. He is moved by this simple, normalizing, neighborly act.

He looks at her and says, "Remove the clip." He's referring to the clip holding her hair. It's not a question. He doesn't ask, "will you remove the clip?" and yet it's not a demand. The intonation suggests, "I would like you to remove the clip if you would like to."

Sookie proceeds to let her hair down. He slowly moves towards her and asks, "May I?" There is not a step along the way where he proceeds without her permission. He never moves in quickly. It is clear that he never would. This man has so much power. He's not afraid of that power. He doesn't hide his power. He walks with his shoulders bearing forward like a predator cat. He's direct with everybody and stands tall in any confrontation, even with vampires stronger than him. He exudes power and he has blood lust.  He should be frightening. Yet, Sookie is not afraid. Why?

Bill has always demonstrated respect and control. He's the master of his power. His fears don't control it. By fully occupying his own space, he doesn't have to seek any of his identity through her. So, her telepathic ability, a symbol of the extraordinary power we each have in some way, doesn't have to be hidden or seen as a threat. Her incomparable power doesn't make him "less than". He's beyond the realm of comparing. His self-possession only requires that she be equally self-possessed.

I can watch this scene over and over because both actors exhibit rich nuance. With very few words there are novels told about the characters. Of course, the plot lines are all in the eyes of the beholder. More on this beholder's perspective tomorrow....