Why people insist that Eli is using Oskar

[Cuchullain]

To go along with my other thread (thanks everyone who replied!) here are theories on why some people see or prefer a more "evil" motivation behind Eli's actions

1. She's a vampire!. Vampires are traditionally depicted as manipulative monsters that use humans as food, distractions, orservants. And Eli has most of the traditional characteristics of a vampire, (can't enter uninvited, no sunlight, etc). Plus, Eli has Hakan, her oh so devoted servant that she nommed on after he outlived his usefulness. What's more likely? That Eli, a 220 year old vampire, just happens to find true love in a 12 year old boy right as her old servant is becoming unreliable, OR that she's knows that Hakan is used up and she has to find someone new?

2.She's a thief and a liar But Eli only lies about being a thief! OK, so that reference didn't fit perfectly.
The point is there's one line in the movie that makes Eli and Oskar's relationship logical: "I'm 12 but I've been 12 for a long time."
We, the viewers, have to take that to mean that Eli is mentally 12 and has been mentally 12 forever. If she has the emotional maturity of a 220 year old, it's unlikely that Eli would see Oskar as a soulmate. We have to trust Eli first to sympathize with her.

Some people must think something like this: "HA! A bloodsucking predator comes to your door. Tells you that she kills people AND you could probably guess that she killed the other person she was with already, but you're suppose to trust her when she says she luws you? That's classic manipulation man! Basically the I did all that stuff to other people but you're the only special one line. Sorry Oskar, but you're being played.

3.She seduced Oskar Ahh Eli, coming to Oskar's window right after killing Hakan, didn't even bother to wipe her lips. She has power over him and she knows it. The kid didn't stand a chance. Actually, it's waaay more than that. Eli is the motivating factor behind Oskar's emotional growth. She told him to "hit back," and it can be argued that the reason Oskar hit Conney is much as to impress Eli (or to make himself worthy for Eli) as it is to stop the bullying. In fact, the first time Oskar said no to his tormentors is to protect the Morse code note he wants to share with Eli. Usually, such an effect would be good, but Eli's a vampire, and Oskar the human is emotionally dependent on her a lot. See the pool scene, with Eli gone, Oskar reverts back to his old self. After Eli comes and dispatches the bullies, Oskar will always see Eli as a savior. As the one who not only saved his life, but made his life worth saving. After that, if Eli chooses to ask, Oskar would probably kill and die for her and do it happily.

I know that people would argue that Oskar gave Eli more, but the above line of argument assumes Eli has the outlook of the "classic vampire."

Crazy out there reason bonus reason 4.
Eli is such a great character that people (me) want her to win.
If she was only using Oskar, Eli wouldn't be so sad when Oskar inevitably grows up/leaves. Also, Eli as a masterful villain would make the movie more unique. Sigh, Oskar's not an idiot, Eli was just smarter. I guess the human race lost this one.

This isn't suppose to be an argument for or against. It's more for fun, directed at people who liked the movie. Contribute your own!

The evidence stacks up well cmfireflies but I believe that Eli and Oskar needed each other but, obviously, neither of them knew this until they met one another. They found each other on their first meeting and grew to love each other. To me that is what I watch when I put on the movie or read the book, the growth of a relationship between too unlikely allies who become intensely dependant on each other. As I have posted before their innocence is central to my interpretation and I really do not like to think that the relationship was unequal or that either of them were manipulative.

In my opinion LMI is responsible for the 'manipulative' interpretation by showing the photo of Eli with the 'Hakan' character as a young boy.

[DMt.]

Yes. That was such a stupid, cheap device, it so damages the story's integrity.

[djrees56]

I've read this somewhere in this forum before.Eli told Oscar to hit his enemies back harder than he might dare to and THEN she could help him.There's two sides of the coin to this:

1)Eli is 200 years old.I don't think there was much in the way of guidance councilors before she was turned.She might be giving him 200 year old advice on how one had to handle bullies.She's just trying to give him some inner strength to deal with them.

2) Eli thinks Oskar might become more of an outcast because really hurting people will turn others against him(e.g family)even if its realized he was provoked.Eli could then use her powers to protect him.This might draw him closer to his doomed life as a creatures servant and secure the fate of Eli's hat in the possession of a Canadian heavy equipment operator.

[metoo]

In my opinion LMI is responsible for the 'manipulative' interpretation by showing the photo of Eli with the 'Hakan' character as a young boy.

Yes. That was such a stupid, cheap device, it so damages the story's integrity.

This, I believe is the reason who JAL wrote Let the Old Dreams Die. Since he did it, and apparently made a great effort to do it well, I take it that this deliberate deviation from the novel was hard for him to accept.

[cmfireflies]

I wrote this topic a long time ago, to go along with the "why is Eli sympathetic?" one. It was a tongue-in-cheek attempt to show that the movie is ambiguous and more importantly, that Eli isn't so nice as to be absolutely tormented by her circumstances, doomed to be driven to suicide by the guilt and it is instead quite possible that Eli is capable of enjoying eternal life.

I think Eli is innocent, but not weak. It may just be that I've watched a lot of bad movies, but it seems to be a cliche that the innocent characters suffers the most, gives up everything gets nothing except a "oh he/she/it was too good for this place" and roll credits. I think Eli is innocence with teeth and claws, a character who wins because he is innocent so I didn't want Eli's innocence to be too much of a burden. She can scheme, kill, and maybe even lie, but it's because she wants to live and live as well as she can and Eli deserves that. Everyone deserved that. I wanted to imagine an Eli who is very capable of taking care of herself and not as much a victim of her curse and random circumstance as she would seem to be.

Of course I believe Eli truly loves Oskar, the movie isn't about the triumph of evil, but is instead about the triumph of love.

But I love Eli regardless of her motivations. Paraphrasing what Ash said, it's not evil, it's "clever love."

[metoo]

I've read this somewhere in this forum before.Eli told Oscar to hit his enemies back harder than he might dare to and THEN she could help him.There's two sides of the coin to this:

You seem to imply that only if Oskar hits his bullies harder than he dares, Eli would help him. I may misinterpret you, but nevertheless I disagree to it. Eli promised that Oskar wouldn't be alone in this. Eli said that if hitting back didn't do it, if things would go out of Oskar's hands like he feared, Eli would be there for him as a backup.

1)Eli is 200 years old.I don't think there was much in the way of guidance councilors before she was turned.She might be giving him 200 year old advice on how one had to handle bullies.She's just trying to give him some inner strength to deal with them.

I agree, Eli did try to give him strength.

That said, In 18th century Sweden, people were required by law to go to church. Also by law, everybody was taught to read, and the textbook was the Bible, or Luther's catechism. Thus, Eli would know the Christian preferred way to handle conflict by heart. Literally.

[djrees56]

I've read this somewhere in this forum before.Eli told Oscar to hit his enemies back harder than he might dare to and THEN she could help him.There's two sides of the coin to this:

You seem to imply that only if Oskar hits his bullies harder than he dares, Eli would help him. I may misinterpret you, but nevertheless I disagree to it. Eli promised that Oskar wouldn't be alone in this. Eli said that if hitting back didn't do it, if things would go out of Oskar's hands like he feared, Eli would be there for him as a backup.

1)Eli is 200 years old.I don't think there was much in the way of guidance councilors before she was turned.She might be giving him 200 year old advice on how one had to handle bullies.She's just trying to give him some inner strength to deal with them.

I agree, Eli did try to give him strength.

That said, In 18th century Sweden, people were required by law to go to church. Also by law, everybody was taught to read, and the textbook was the Bible, or Luther's catechism. Thus, Eli would know the Christian preferred way to handle conflict by heart. Literally.

Good point.But Eli's advice could be interpreted as a lure to purposely get Oskar into bigger trouble.With the reassuring way she told him"Then they will stop".Maybe she needs a purpose to use her powers to intervene(??)
I really enjoy the way this topic can lean either way.It makes watching the movie more interesting to go back and look for clues to this mystery

[cmfireflies]

Good point.But Eli's advice could be interpreted as a lure to purposely get Oskar into bigger trouble.With the reassuring way she told him"Then they will stop".Maybe she needs a purpose to use her powers to intervene(??)
I really enjoy the way this topic can lean either way.It makes watching the movie more interesting to go back and look for clues to this mystery

Well you have to remember that Eli is a vampire, she probably faces mortal danger a lot more, and the way to survive would be to do everything you can to kill the other person before he kills you. Case in point, Lacke: Eli woke up to a man standing over her with a knife and very close to a window. She doesn't have the luxury of hesitating or thinking what would be an appropriate response, she needs to go for the kill on instinct. Eli's advise to Oskar reflects this.

Here's a quote from the movie Sin City as Dwight mows down an army of gangsters with the girls of Old Town

The girls all know the score. No escape. No surrender. No mercy. We got to kill every last rat bastard one of them, every last one. Not for revenge. Not because they deserve it. not because it'll make the world a better place. We need a heap of bloody bodies so when the mob boss, Wallenquist, looks over his charts of profits and losses, he'll see what it cost him to mess with the girls of Old Town.

From experience Eli probably knows the value of shocking violence. Especially when you're outnumbered. It might hold back the a mob of torches and pitchforks if the first few people are ripped apart. So she tells a kid to hit as hard as he can to stop the bullying. It usually works.

[MSenseMovies]

DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET SPOILERS FROM THE BOOK "LET THE OLD DREAMS DIE" WHICH INVOLVES SOME INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT OSKAR AND ELIS FATE!

I've never thought that Oskar is being used by Eli exept when I saw "Let me in", in that movie it seemed like Eli was using him. But back to "Let the right one in", as I said i think it's a happy ending. It got even happier when I read "Let the old dreams die" and John Ajvide Lindqvist added a more detailed ending for Oskar and Eli. Since Oskar becomes a vampire with her it is such a happy ending, at least for the two of them (not to happy for the people who gets killed by them hehe ). But this is what I really love Lindqvist for doing, not many writer adds more to the story after its "finished"! Thank you