Very early in the novel, there is an obvious predator/prey relationship seen by some of the characters. The specific sections of the novel I am think of are Oskar being trapped in the bathroom by Johnny:
“He couldn't have pulled back the lock, they couldn't simply have climbed over the sides of the stall in the three seconds, because those weren't the rules of the game...Theirs was the intoxication of the hunter, his the terror of the prey.”
And the less obvious Hakan Bengtsoon “tracking” of the girl he follows from the subway:
“He would have wanted to get even closer...so close in fact that he would be able to smell te scent of her hair. He stopped, let the girl increase the distance between them...He waited or maybe a minute, listened to the chaffinch singing...Then he went in after her”.
In the other novels that we have read, the term predator is usually reserved for the “vampires” looking for their victims, but here we are not certain that either of the predators is for sure a vampire. What predator/prey relationships have we seen so far in the other novels? Do you think the mention of the predator/prey relationship so early in the novel is a foreshadowing of the true predator of the novel who has yet to make an appearance? (Jess G)
Oskar is, as it seems are almost all the non-vampire protagonists we have encountered in our texts, introduced to us in an especially vulnerable position. However, Eli, the vampire, is not the cause of his vulnerability. She is an "other," as is Oskar, and this shared position seems to have helped foster their friendship. In Let The Right One In, does Lindqvist create a space where vampires and children can have something in common? If so, what is that space and what are its rules (think of the 'rules' of horror movies/Dracula)? Or, if not, why is the setting ineffective for a 'real' friendship? And so far, how does theirs compare to the relationships between vampires and humans we have seen in such texts as Dracula and Lost Souls? (Carlie L)
Hakan is a homosexual evil child
molester and loves Eli. He serves him by
procuring blood from the living, fighting against his conscience and choosing
victims whom he can physically trap. Something that struck me as interesting
was the sexual lust that Hakan had for Eli. The homosexual relationship is
something that you don’t see often in Vampire novels. We get a chance to see
the erotic undercurrent he experiences when he commit murders. During the story there are a lot of homosexual
instances. This is a very unusual thing in vampirism because you see more
heterosexual relations when reading novels. One question I had was where do you
think the author is going by using homosexual suggestion in the novel? Also, In
thinking about sex and vampires do you think that the sexual relationship between
males goes against any norms that you usually see in sexual relationships in
vampire relationships? (Kirsa M.)
The book has a lot of themes about protection. Eli protects Oskar, Hakan protects Eli through acquiring his blood and self-disfiguration in capture, and Oskar protects Eli's secret. Does the nature of those protections and the feelings present justify some of the actions in the novel, like killing and keeping vampires secret? (Andy S.)
The predator/prey concept is present in most horror, vampire, or suspenseful novels. It's what gives the book the scary plot. In previous novels for our class, it is definitely a main concept within each plot. In I Am Legend, Robert Neville was, depending on which way you looked at it, the prey to the vampires who were taking over the world or what he knew of the world. They were trying to attack him in his home for reasons that we cannot be sure of but most likely just for food to survive. If you look at it from the vampire's perspective though, they were only trying to do what they needed to do to survive, which included eating. In this mindset, Robert could be the predator because he was targeting and killing every vampire he could find.
ReplyDeleteIn Dracula, the Count is clearly the predator in that he literally preys on human victims to eat and to turn them into his own kind.
I cannot say for sure, but in a suspenseful novel such as Let The Right One In, I would say foreshadowing is and will be present for the first part of the book. So I do think the early mention of this predator/prey concept is foreshadowing of what may be to come.
I think it's interesting to point out all the instances we've seen of vampires not being the only monsters within the novels we're reading. In Lost Souls, the professor constantly pointed out that the world was monstrous, as opposed to there being an "other" invading, like in Dracula. I think that's also the case in Let the Right One In; granted Eli is monstrous in her own way, but it's not just her. Hakan does horrible things for her, the bullies to horrible things to Oskar, who ends up doing something horrible to Jonny in order to protect himself. Anything can be a predator, as long as there is someone weaker to prey on (especially on vulnerable children).
ReplyDeleteI find Eli especially interesting because what is revealed at the end of part three; that even though Eli has been alive for an untold amount of time, she still FEELS 12 years old in her mind. As opposed to vampires who seem to be jaded by the passage of time, Eli seems unable to notice it all at, except when it comes to technological advances she doesn't understand. In this way I think there's a definite connection being formed with Eli's "disease" as she calls it, and Oskar's youth.
I have to disagree that the homosexual relationship isn't seen commonly in vampire novels... If anything in the novels we've read so far vampire sexuality tends to bend acceptable sexual norms in all manner of disturbing ways. The relationship between Zillah and nothing wasn't just incest, but ALSO child molestation (or at least stautory rape according to "human" laws). No matter how disturbing Hakan's fascination with children is, I find it hard for that to be considered the most disturbing aspect of the novel. If anything I find the idea of a man stringing young children up in locker rooms and draining them of blood while they're still alive way more disturbing than homosexuality (or even the sex trafficking reference made by the boy in the bathroom stall...)
The author does make some very good connections between the situations of Oskar and Eli. The author gives us an impression of both Oskar and Eli of being outcasts from the "normal" world, such the one of Oskar's mother and Lacke and his buddies.
ReplyDeleteOskar is a somewhat chubby boy who gets picked on constantly by a certain few people in his class. But besides these bullies in his life, he doesn't seem to connect with anyone else at his school or home. The closest things he can call friends, before meeting Eli, are Tommy, who at times can see Oskar as a little brother, and Johan, a boy who only comes to see Oskar when he has nothing else to do. Another thing that outcasts Oskar is that he has incontinence, which is mentioned that "only old people suffer, and him". This feeling of outcast from Oskar brings him to indulge in some of his stranger habits, like that of compiling a scrapbook of newspaper clippings covering various murders and the murderers who committed them. This would not be considered normal for a child of his age and his mother shows concern that he is reading too much about these dark things that happen in the world. The bullying and his loneliness have left a grim impression of the world in Oskar's eyes; I think he enjoys reading about these murderers because he thinks he can connect with them, maybe find something of himself in their reasoning or their ability to change to world around them, even if it is just committing murder.
Eli is an outcast to the "normal" world mainly because of her physiology. She must drink blood to survive and is incapable of aging. She cannot live like a normal person because she is not physically able to, let alone if she would want to or not. Whether she likes to or not, she must commit violent acts against humans to feed herself.
Eli and Oskar both find comfort in each others company. Company Oskar couldn't find in his parents or his classmates, and company Eli couldn't find in Hakan, who desired Eli as a sexual object. Everything between them seems to click, until Oskar starts to see the ravenous and violent side to Eli's vampiric nature. Although Oskar has spent much time ruminating in the thought that he could possibly kill someone if he found ample reason to, to Oskar it was still just a daydream; for Eli, it is a means of survival. The outcasts in both of them bring them together in friendship, but the violent nature of Eli's cause of exile is something that brings Oskar back to the reality of the situation. The thing that will decide their continuing companionship is whether Oskar will accept or reject this side of Eli.
~Anthony J.
I disagree that homosexual relationships are uncommon in vampire novels. This is the second time we've encountered this theme because Lost Souls? showed us many homosexual encounters. In fact, both novels are similar in the sense that both have "taboo" relationships with incest and child molestation. I think these parts of the stories we've read are put in to further the distinction between humans and vampires - not only do they kill and drink blood and other terrible things, they also do things are considered "taboo."
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting to see how vampires and sex could hardly ever be separted in the novels. Furthermore, even a theme of homosexuality can be found in the novels. Let the Right One In is not the only novel which has homosexuality among vampire novels as we have already seen the similar theme in Lost Souls. Personally, this seems like to be the theme which more of the recent vampire novels choose to embed in their story line. As more people accept homosexuality, I guess the writers purposefully use homosexuality to show extreme characteristics of vampires. I do not think that there would be much difference in reading about a male vampire sexually lusting for another male although it is quite difficult for me to imagine the scenes.
ReplyDeleteAlthough homosexual relationships in vampire narratives may seem uncommon, Lost Souls is the first novel that I have been introduced to homosexuality in terms of Zillah and Nothing. However, in The Vampyre and Dracula, Lord Ruthven chooses to torment Aubrey and Dracula chooses to imprison Jonathan. These are not homosexual relationships, but they do make me question why these two vampires chose to pick men as their prime target. It is as if they find the most sadistic enjoyment by tormenting their own gender. In addition, we have been exposed to a type of sexuality that seems to have no bounds in vampires. They are capable or heterosexual, incest, and homosexual relations and attractions. Therefore, child molestation as a device in Let the Right One in does not surprise me.
ReplyDeleteI disagree that the homosexual relationship is rare in vampire novels. Such as, from Lost Souls, the relationship between Zillah and Nothing, we have read many homosexual incidents. In my opinion, author is using homosexuality to show or encourage readers to think about equal right for sexism. We easily find Vampires are being isolated and lonely and I think they represent people who are homosexual. In other words, author is trying to speak to real social injustice existing in the society.
ReplyDeleteI think the homosexuality element of the story was important, because a basis of the story is remoteness and awkwardness. Homosexuality in the 80s was not as openly accepted as today, so I think the author used homosexuality as another element to portray that human truth of loneliness. I don't think it had to do with recreating the vampire narrative with a twist, but more so as a means to an end.
ReplyDeleteBasically, Oskar is seen as a lonely boy, faced with constant bullying. Håkan is obviously homosexual, but is plagued with the love and lust for something he can't have.
I think in vampire relationships there isn't a sense of female and males. They are in it for the passion and whatever they are attracted to in that minute. I guess there's a sense of "bisexuality," more so than explicity homosexuality. I think that the homosexuality might be toyed with more, because heterosexuality is something 'normal' and in order to set these vampires apart, authors bring in homosexuality.
I think the predator/prey relationship is present in every novel we’ve covered so far, and I also think it is one of the most interesting things to analyze or interpret. I feel like in most of these cases, the authors kind of makes it ambiguous who the real predator is in an effort to kind of create that connection between the vampire and the human species, kind of like a “who is really the vampire” type of things. It’s almost like a question of who the bad guy is because a predator doesn’t always have to be the bad guy in the scenario, even though in certain cases it comes off like that. Dracula is a the predator, and a bad guy, but Robert Neville was in a sense a predator, but portrayed to us as the good guy. When it comes to bad and good, one must also take into consideration the reasons for every action that is taking place. All these people or individuals are doing what they have to do to survive, but based on the perspective we are given, we see their quest for survival as a good or bad thing. I find this to be the most interesting and almost constant theme through out all these novels. I’ve almost been looking for it ever since we discussed I Am Legend. I guess what it boils down to is who is the good guy and the bad guy, when it comes to the predator and prey, because everybody is essentially able to play either role at some point based on their needs at the time, but what remains constant is the looking glass when it comes to who the reader should want to win.
ReplyDeleteI think there is definitely a predatory/prey relationship in many of the other novels we’ve read. For example, in I Am Legend before it is understood that Neville is hunting down the vampires during the day to try and eliminate as many as possible. He has specific weapons and hunting tactics, which help aid him in his missions. This continues to go on throughout the novel in various scenes. There is also a scene in the novel that involves Neville witnessing the vampires be brutally killed by the other humans in his town. This causes Neville to feel almost sorry for them and uneasy about he situation. All throughout the novel the vampires are being preyed on only to find out that at the end Neville himself became the prey.
ReplyDeleteThere was also a predator/prey relationship in Dracula between both Dracula and Harker and the three women vampires and Harker. Dracula subtly let Harker know that Harker had no choice in the matter and he was under Dracula’s rules. Dracula knew what he was doing and carefully planned out how he would get Harker trapped in his home even as far back as the limo ride to his castle. The three women vampires had planned to make Harker their pray as well in the room the night they seduced him. Both his body and mind succumbed to them against his will. Had Dracula not interfered he very well would have been their prey.
I also definitely agree that there seems to be a predatory undertone in Let the Right One In thus far. Much like a vampire would, Hakan is tracking the young girl and sizing up his prey. I think that this is Lindqvist’s way of easing the reader into being prepared for the upcoming predator/prey relationships while increasing the suspense and awareness for common clues and actions that could distinguish a predatory situation. He could also try to imply that there are already predatory relationships in the world and some may be better or worse than the ones involving vampires. He could maybe try and draw a parallel between the two depending on the upcoming situations.
I agree with my classmates that homosexuality is not that uncommon in vampire narratives, especially in more recent vampire narratives. We don’t see homosexuality in Dracula or I Am Legend because of the time periods that they were written in; Dracula was published in 1897 and I Am Legend was published in 1954. Even though homosexuality was still present, it wasn’t really acknowledged back then. However, I don’t think the issue lies within homosexuality itself, but rather societal views on sexuality as a whole. In all of the novels we’ve read thus far, the authors have focused on “perverse,” fringe sexuality. In Dracula, the three vampire women were sexualized, which was something very taboo in Victorian society. Women simply weren’t supposed to feel any sort of carnal desire or to enjoy and/or want sex. In Lost Souls, we saw instances of homosexuality and incest, and in Let the Right One In, there is the continued theme of homosexuality and now we’re also being exposed to pedophilia. But like I said earlier, I don’t think the issue is with sexuality itself, but with how society approaches these aspects of sexuality. Like Rohaina said, I think that the authors focus on uncommon sexuality to add an element of loneliness and alienation. Personally, I don’t feel like the authors are trying to demonize sexuality, but they are using sexuality to show the gap between vampires and humans, and ultimately the gap that exists between humans and other humans. The attribution of uncommon sexual desires to the “outsiders,” whether they are human or vampire, creates a starker dichotomy between “us” vs. “them,” “normal” vs. “abnormal,” etc.
ReplyDeleteI do think that their is a special connection between children and vampires. What first came to mind, was Lost Souls and how Twig/Molochai were seen as being children in comparison to the other much older vampires. I think one of the common elements between vampires and children is that they are usually seen as the outcasts who are estranged from the rest of society. While vampires are usually seen as "others" in comparison to humans, children are usually put in a separate category than adults. The obvious difference of course being that Vampires are estranged because they are not seen as being human, while children are separated because they are not seen as being as mentally developed as adults. One of the most interesting aspects of a child's relationship with a vampire versus an adults is that because children tend to be more naive, there seems to be less fear between children and vampires. I think this tends to lead for children and vampires being able to get closer to each other because the children are not automatically running away and creating the estrangement that adults usually do. So far in the other novels, the vampires are seen to have control over the humans they interact with, and in Let the right one in, it is more of a friendship.
ReplyDeleteThe predator prey relationship has been present in many of the novels we looked at. In I Am Legend Robert Neville is both the predator and the prey depending on the time of day. In Dracula, Dracula himself is the predator and his various victims are the prey. Lost Soul’s was a bit more complicated but essentially the vampires are also the predators. In the novel we are reading now, Let the Right One In, I do not think the relationship of predator/prey is that much different than many of the novels we have read especially I Am Legend. Within the context of predator/prey relationships I think that Oskar is very similar to Robert Neville. Throughout the novel Oskar is bullied by Johnny and his friends. However, at the same time Oskar himself is predatory in his own “cowardly” way. This is evidenced in how he takes pride in stealing the candy and by the fact that he sees no difference between his “cowardly” appeasement of his bullies and the heroic attributes of superheroes. Furthermore, the author foreshadows very early on, that Oskar will in fact become a predator in a very literal sense. When Oskar is reviewing his scrapbook he looks at the face of a notorious murderer and thinks “Could be me in twenty years” and when he role-plays being a mass murder. (18,21-22). Through these very overt cues the author is foreshadowing that Oskar himself will become a predator but not in the way that Johnny is a predator. Instead the author seems to suggest that Oskar will become a predator more along the lines of Hakan Bengtsoon, a more introverted, self-reflective, calculating, methodical, and cowardly sort of predator. It also seems that Oskar like Hakan will not become a predator out of a need of self-affirmation but rather to serve a greater purpose.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s very interesting how this novel starts off with the predator looking for blood not even being the “vampire,” and of Oskar pretending he is a predator killing his bullies. I believe Lindqvist does this to emphasize the nature of what Eli really is. She does prey on some people, but that seems only because she was desperate. She doesn’t consider herself a vampire, only that she has some kind of disease of which she takes care not to spread to her victims, save for Victoria. Hakan was only a predator for Eli out of love for her, not because he enjoyed killing people. Oskar pretended to be a predator in order to defend himself from further bullying attacks. It’s interesting though that Oskar couldn’t fight back until Eli egged him on, and then he did become a predator, hurting his classmate Jonny pretty severely.
ReplyDeleteIn I am Legend we also see a human being the predator with Neville killing all of those “sleeping” living vampires. However, in the end it turns out that Neville was the “vampire” of the novel. In Dracula, the vampires are strictly the predators until the posse decides to take down Dracula, then they become the predators, stalking their prey and tracking him down.
Kim K.
In response to Kirsa's question,
ReplyDeleteI think that the author is making similar suggestions as was made in the Brite's Lost Souls. We not only see a homosexual relationship but an incestuous one as well between Nothing and his father; this is a similar situation for Hakan. He is a vampire and just as in most vampire novels "what do they have to lose?" The immoralities that Hakan exhibits shows that there is an inner conflict Hakan faces with his vampirism. Since he is going to live forever why not indulge in a homosexual relationship? Why not experience the rush of trapping his victims instead of just feeding off them? I suggest that for Hakan, the normal mores of a human being is rendered useless due to his vampirism. What is considered vices for humans do not hold up for Hakan simply because he has to kill and feed on others in order to survive.
However, I also think that Hakan's homosexual relationship with Eli shows that he still feel a human need for affection. This can be compared to Nothing's loneliness as well in which he also had such strong emotional drives. These extremities that are found in Hakan's lust enhances his peditory nature as a vampire, but it also shows that he is not perfect. Although he has all these powers to live forever, this super strength, and dominance over humans, these are also his weaknesses. He needs the lust in his life and he needs to feed and without these traits I think Hakan's character will crumble on the inside.
In regards to homosexual behavior within vampire novels, I do not think it is as uncommon as one may think it is. This is the second novel we have read in class that features this type of relationship and it seems to make sense in the realm of vampirism. There is a common understanding that vampires live outside of the realm of normalcy and there are few rules which they must follow. I believe the same goes for the novels which are written in the interest of the vampire. Because the vampire generally has no constraints, the same can be said for vampire novels. With this freedom given to the authors, it is no wonder boundaries are pushed and societal norms are brought into question.
ReplyDeleteSarah S
We talked about the rules of surviving a vampire narrative in regards to Dracula. When Dracula corrupts and eventually kills Mina we see a series of calculated steps. It's a slow process that most people attribute to a mysterious illness rather than a vampire. The predators seem much more vicious in this novel. Hakan's victim is clearly brutally murdered and the death is talked about throughout the town. When we see Eli attack the man in the alley it's a quick death that involves Eli consciously avoiding turning him into a vampire like herself. Both vampires and humans seem to play by a different set of rules here that perhaps reflects the cultural norms of the time and really push the boundaries of what is acceptable by society's standards.
ReplyDeleteI believe that while Lindqvist has not created s space where children and "vampires" in the general sense of the word can find commonality, he has certainly created a space where "the vampire" as an individual can. Unlike in "Dracula" or "I am Legend", or even in a sense "Lost Souls", we see vampires more like individuals with narratives that don't inherently necessitate vampires looking out for each other in a racial way. Because Eli was turned into a vampire, and in a manner quite brutal, he/she is able to connect with Oskar not in vampire to human way, but in a experiential way. I think the rules that exist are simple. 1.) Understand that all vampires are individuals and thus very different, judge accordingly. 2.) If you befriend a vampire remember that they are still vampires and need to prey. 3.) Lastly, don't be afraid to use them to your advantage. Have an enemy?
ReplyDeleteI can't say I agree for sure that this prey/predator relationship describes a possible bigger predator coming into the story, because every book we've read so far has had its twist and turns on who's the predator and who's the prey. In Lost Souls Zillah is the predator and everyone that is around is subject to being his prey, as Robert Neville is the protagonist, he could also be seen as the predator, hunting the vampires. In Dracula there is a difference in the roles of prey and predator, with Dr. Van Helsing and Dracula, the main antagonist we've come to know, has now become the prey for this amazing hunter (predator). So as you can see the roles of the prey and predator are always changing. I think Oskar and Johnny's relationship definitely foreshadows the vampires to come, but wether or not this is the true prey/predator relationship is always subject to change.
ReplyDeleteKevin S.
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ReplyDeleteThe predator/prey relationship serves in creating and maximizing the intensity of suspense and horror in many of the novels, including that of vampire fictions.
ReplyDeleteGiven this question, I reflected on the predator/prey relationships we’ve observed for our readings for this class. In Dracula, the predator/prey relationship is straightforward and obvious: Dracula is the predator going after its victims, or preys. However, when reflecting on I am Legend, answering the given question became more interesting: Robert Neville, the protagonist of the story, can be both a predator and prey depending on the time of the day; in the evenings, Neville becomes a prey, and during daylight he becomes the predator in search for vampires.
From reflecting on/discussing the two novels from class, we may already come to realize how interesting predator/prey relationships can be demonstrated in novels with the help of various writing elements such as usage of narrative point of view and who the protagonist is (e.g., in I am Legend, the story was written in the Robert Neville’s perspective, and thus, readers rooted for Robert – both predator/prey – since we got to understand him). Although predator/prey relationships naturally add suspense and horror to novels, at times, similar to that of what we have observed in Let the Right One In and I am Legend, it’s difficult to identify predators/preys and end up rooting for the predators. Given this thought and given that predator/prey relationship is mentioned in Let the Right One In from early on in the novel, I do find it possible that the novel is foreshadowing of the existence of true predator of the novel having yet to make its appearance; with mention of the predator/prey relationship, perhaps, the writer, here, is trying to prepare then fully engage the readers to feel the horror and suspense to its fullest intensity.
I am not sure exactly if the prey line is meant to prepare us later on in the novel by foreshadowing but seeing as how the rest of these vampire novels have gone, I would assume so. To be honest, I did not even pay that much attention to that part of the novel because I feel as though a predator-prey relationship is part of any vampire novel. However I would definitely agree that there are times where the lines get blurred of whether or not the predator is a vampire or not and who actually fills that predatory role. In I am Legend, at first we get the sense that Neville is the prey....but then it switches and he it seems to me becomes the predator and we learn that he himself is a vampire. In Lost Souls we had a character that was definitely human, Steve, who preys on another human, his ex girlfriend and rapes her. In Dracula I kind of got confused as to whether or not Renfield who eats all these live things was part of the supernatural elements too. I definitely think the author of this novel blurs the lines a bit with Hakan going after the subway girl just like other vampire novels have done in order to make the novel more suspenseful- in order to make the readers more hungry to find out exactly what is going on- in order to continue to grapple with this idea of human vs vampire and whether or not the two worlds collide. (Akanimoh E)
ReplyDelete