“LESTAT WAS NEVER THE VAMPIRE I AM”: A vampironormatividade de Louis e Lestat em Interview with the vampire (2014 [1976]) à luz dos estudos queer

Abstract

This research discusses how the society imposes behaviors and social norms and internalizes them in fictional spaces. The literary work highlighted in this research is the book Interview with the vampire (2014[1976]) written by Anne Rice and published in 1976, tells the story of two vampires, Louis and Lestat. Both experienced their conflicts by adopting opposite behaviors, and the standards that determined who could or could not be a vampire. Based on this, this research aims to answer the following question: How does heteronormativity becomes vampirenormativity in the literary work Interview with the vampire (2014[1976]) in light of queer studies? In order to answer this question, the following general objective was proposed: To investigate how does heteronormativity becomes vampirenormativity in the literary work Interview with the vampire (2014[1976]) in light of queer studies. To achieve this objective, we established specific objectives: (i) To discuss the theoretical presumptions of queer studies, with emphasis on the concepts of gender and sexuality, heteronormativity; (ii) To identify which aspects of heteronormativity can be applied to vampirenormativity in the literary work Interview with the vampire (2014[1976]); (iii) To know how the aspects of vampirenormativity affect the relationship between the characters Louis and Lestat in the literary work Interview with the vampire (2014[1976]). As far as methodology is concerned, we carried out an investigation with a qualitative approach, in the bibliographical modality as well as exploratory. This analysis takes into account the theoretical contributions of theorists such as Lois Tyson (2015), Joan Scott (2019), Gayle Rubin (2017), Scott Morgensen (2021) and Judith Buttler (2021). The analyses highlighted that Louis and Lestat experienced a relationship that was problematized by society. Vampirenormativity states the idea that although a vampire tries to recognize his identity, his own species threats and punishes him and his behavior is repressed and silenced.