Would you want to be a vampire like Eli?

[N.R. Gasan]

In answering the question "What would you do if you met Eli?", it occured to me that I hadn't seen this question posted. I looked thru the threads of this forum, but couldn't find any that directly broached this idea. If I missed it or over-looked any significant discussions on this point, I appologize for the repetition; in my defense, I can only say (happily) that we have a LOT of postings on this forum now. :)

So...What if you did meet Eli (or another vampire from her "universe")? If you were offered the chance to join "the club," would you? I would seriously consider it. Here are some of the pros and cons (I'm considering aspects from the novel as well)...

The upside: Super-human strength and durability...Able to fly...See in the dark...Impervious to cold...Live indefinitely.

The downside: Sunlight is deadly...Unable to enter a dwelling without invitation...Must avoid cats (a real downer if you're a cat person; and what about dogs?)...Must drink fresh human blood to stay alive (and Eli is alive, as opposed to the undead Hakan of the novel).

Of them all, the biggest sticking point for most people would probably be the blood drinking. Unlike vampires of other fictional worlds, the blood-drinkers of the JAL/TA universe can't subsist on animal blood or an artificial substitute like Tru-Blood. Nor can they raid the fridge, so to speak; basically, once the blood goes cold, it's no longer useful. But there are ways around this. Remember, the biggest problem for Eli -- the one that makes her life so wretched -- is that she (I always think of Eli as female) is a child, with a child's mentality. An adult can get around the blood question in ways she wouldn't necessarily think of.

Given time, a clever vampire could start his/her own blood bank. It's clear from Eli that one need not feed every day; a couple of pints, once or twice a week, seems to suffice. And until one was ready to go this route, one could choose carefully who to feed on. It has been suggested by me and by others that there is a surplus of undesirables in the world; picking these off not only would satisfy the diet of the discriminating vampire, but might actually make the world a better place.

I look forward to reading the thoughts of other Infected on this thread. :)

[a_contemplative_life]

The notion of sinking my teeth into a stranger's neck just doesn't appeal to me. I don't think I could get past that.

Hold your true self dearer than all else beside. - Epictetus

[divinityadieu]

I would probably most likely go for being a vampire, in the JAL/TA sense, as well as probably any other sense.
I've loved vampires since I was 13-14 years old, and I've contemplated life as a vampire for a while.
As for the tricky blood situation, I'd get people do donate their blood to me. That probably might not work though, now that I think about it. I'll probably just end up sucking all of their blood.

[Aurora]

It's interesting that most of the writers and directors that make the idea of being a vampire desirable always make a big deal of the positives and either play down or ignore the negatives. Credit to JAL then who makes certain that you're aware that being a vampire (or whatever Eli is) isn't as much fun as say your average Twilight fan might imagine it to be.

I imagine that you'd get used to drinking blood fairly quickly (or kill yourself) for it to be a problem. But for me I like cats and I'm too much of a 'day person' to exist only when the sun goes down, although I'll admit that being able to fly sounds like fun

[gareth1971]

I think I could get over the blood drinking no problem, but for me the only turn off would be the immortality - unless my beloved were infected alongside me, seeing those close to me age whilst I do not, over and over again is something that I could not get over.

[genie47]

That's the main drag. Watching your friends and close ones die from aging while you don't.

Same choice to make again. Between grief and death, which will you choose?

Asked my wife this question. She chose grief. "For heavens sake why?", "Because anyone with enough time can get over grief."

[Wolfchild]

I don't wish to offend anyone but I think that if you wish to be a vampire like Eli, then you have not understood this film.

Absolutely IMHO.

[TΛPETRVE]

I would not WANT to become a vampire like Eli, but if I was infected, I still probably wouldn't escape into suicide.

[covenant6452]

I don't think it would be so bad, (IF! big if there), you had someone worthwhile to spend it with. Which is why i'd still be happy for Oskar if he took the plunge.

[lombano]

I don't wish to offend anyone but I think that if you wish to be a vampire like Eli, then you have not understood this film.

Absolutely IMHO.

I absolutely agree.

I don't think it would be so bad, (IF! big if there), you had someone worthwhile to spend it with. Which is why i'd still be happy for Oskar if he took the plunge.

I would view it in his case as the lesser evil. I wonder how much, if at all, JAL was influenced by Paolo and Francesca in Dante's Hell (which is referred to several times in the book) - they are in love and together, but also damned to an eternity in Hell. Borges commented on this that maybe Dante at some level felt envy, in any case Oskar and Eli's situation, if Oskar becomes a vampire, strikes me as very analogous... maybe I'll start a thread on this.