“We drink from the fountain of life while man feasts at the fleshpots of the dead; yet we are called the monsters.” (pg. 116)
Hofmanstahal mentions this to Craig as he is refuting the myths associated with being a vampire. This line stands out to me because it seems to foreshadow the end of the story. Hofmanstahal is the monster, yet Craig is the one who ends up committing the monstrous act that results in the vampire’s death. This story seems to emphasize the effects that society has on a person. Craig often considers matters from his father’s perspective, and recalls that church and history have determined vampires to be evil, and consequently he may now be evil as well. He fluctuates between this odd “symbiotic relationship” and feelings of guilt or being tainted. In the end, the fear of being witnessed by people on the boat leads him to knock Hofmanstahal off the boat. This is ironic in that the character who has been referred to as evil by society is actually the one who ends up the victim.
What do you think the author’s main purpose for writing this piece was? Was this the ending you were predicting while reading the story?
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