Håkan and Eli’s Gender

[pantsonparade]

I would not say that Hakan has a preference for males. During the first kill we read about he happens upon a small girl who is walking through the woods singing. He wants to pursue her, take in the scent of her hair. Then he decided that would cause to much of a scene so he focuses on finding a suitable candidate for Eli.

[sauvin]

In net objective effect, what truly is the difference between the beast that lived in Hakan's mind and the one that lives in Eli's heart?

Håkan's beast lived for many years without harming anybody, while Eli's...

I suppose it could be argued that the host doesn't die when Hakan's beast isn't fed, but it could be equally argued that having porn delivered in plain brown wrappers is rather like having blood delivered in large Nalgene jugs. It might not be as much "fun" as the "real thing", but it keeps the real victims at a safe distance.

Let's stipulate, just for the sake of argument (and we're so very good at arguing, aren't we?) that Hakan actually does sate is beast on several occasions directly, and consider that both Hakan and Eli harm people in their own respective ways. My question would still stand: in net objective effect, what truly is the difference between the beast that lived in Hakan's mind and the one that lives in Eli's heart?

[ofelia]

Håkan is a fantastically conflicted character. He is the most disgusting sympathetic character I have ever experienced.

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I still think so too.

I would not say that Hakan has a preference for males. During the first kill we read about he happens upon a small girl who is walking through the woods singing. He wants to pursue her, take in the scent of her hair. Then he decided that would cause to much of a scene so he focuses on finding a suitable candidate for Eli.

I don't have the book with me but I know he thinks "Too young" about this girl, who is about eight. When I first read I thought he was worrying he wouldn't get enough blood out of her, especially considering he isn't so good at his job. Eli often tackles adults; does it ever mention how much blood he needs? But again, I think this is JAL adding a little ambiguity. I feel that Håkan prefers boys, since this is the only time we see him around a little girl, and it's not overtly sexual... it says he can smell her hair, which is weird, but it could just be there since we are led to think Eli is a girl. I love how almost nothing in this story has only one interpretation.

Let's stipulate, just for the sake of argument (and we're so very good at arguing, aren't we?) that Hakan actually does sate is beast on several occasions directly, and consider that both Hakan and Eli harm people in their own respective ways. My question would still stand: in net objective effect, what truly is the difference between the beast that lived in Hakan's mind and the one that lives in Eli's heart?

Håkan does give in, doesn't he? Or starts to, in the library scene. If anything, Håkan is much more troubled by his condition than Eli is. He stops the boy at the library and doesn't go through with it because it is so lacking in beauty and any real connection. Whereas Eli has been around so long that he really doesn't have a problem having to kill people. Håkan and Oskar are the ones to bring up troubling questions of morality to Eli. So it's possible to say that at least at the start of the book, Håkan is more human than Eli, or at least more refined, less animal. Not that humanity doesn't live in Eli, it's just been suppressed for so long. To me there's much more sorrow in Håkan. I think we all find Eli lovable and are quick to see how tragic Eli's condition is, but it's easy to pity a beautiful child, isn't it? Whereas Håkan can never find real love, because a child doesn't reciprocate love in the same way. For Eli it's possible to rise up in a sense; Håkan can only go downhill.

[EEA]

The big difference between Hakan's and Eli's condition is that Hakan has a choice. He can leave Eli's service anytime he wants.

[PeteMork]

The big difference between Hakan's and Eli's condition is that Hakan has a choice. He can leave Eli's service anytime he wants.

Can he really? There is at least one school of thought that supports the idea that his sexual orientation and resulting pedophilia are pretty much unchangeable. And Eli, as physically old as he is, is an absolutely perfect companion for him; guiltless gratification, personified. Perhaps with great effort, he could, at least temporarily, control his impulses (just as Eli can with Oskar) but he can't rid himself of them entirely.

In that sense, I tend to agree with Sauvin. Their respective beasts are quite similar.

[a_contemplative_life]

I agree that JAL managed to make Håkan very sympathetic notwithstanding his predilections to pedophilia. It would be interesting to see how Håkan's character evolved when John was working on the novel. We know some things about Eli's character, but less about Håkan.

I think that is one of JAL's strengths as a novelist--even his "bad" characters are not completely unsympathetic. For example, the bully brothers in the novel have a reason to be angry with Oskar because when he set fire to the desk at the school, they lost their photo album with pictures of their father.

[JToede]

The big difference between Hakan's and Eli's condition is that Hakan has a choice. He can leave Eli's service anytime he wants.

Can he really? There is at least one school of thought that supports the idea that his sexual orientation and resulting pedophilia are pretty much unchangeable. And Eli, as physically old as he is, is an absolutely perfect companion for him; guiltless gratification, personified. Perhaps with great effort, he could, at least temporarily, control his impulses (just as Eli can with Oskar) but he can't rid himself of them entirely.

In that sense, I tend to agree with Sauvin. Their respective beasts are quite similar.

Both have a good point.
In Eli's case, hunger is a very powerful motivator, especially with specific and restricted diet. Drink blood by killing other people or his own death.
Hakan, can choose to act, or not to act, on his hormones. He can leave Eli. Wait til Eli goes to sleep and "run like the rising river in the spring."
I think it comes down to that Hakan is addicted to Eli. So leaving for him is near impossible.

[Jameron]

Håkan does give in, doesn't he? Or starts to, in the library scene. If anything, Håkan is much more troubled by his condition than Eli is.

I honestly don't think he does give in.

Here is a censored passage from the book...

• He had never done that. Buy sex.
  Once Gert, Torgny and Ove had found a boy whose mother had been brought back from Vietnam by someone Gert knew. The boy was maybe twelve years old and knew what was expected of him, was well-paid for his trouble. And yet Håkan couldn’t bring himself to do it. He had sipped his Bacardi and Coke, enjoyed the boy’s naked body as he writhed and turned in the room where they had gathered.
  But that was the limit.
  The others had been <***> by the boy one by one, but when it was Håkan’s turn a hard knot formed inside him. The whole situation was too disgusting. The room smelled of arousal, alcohol and mustiness. A drop of <***> glistened on the boy’s cheek. Håkan pushed the boy’s head aside when he lowered it to Håkan’s groin.
  The others had taunted him, called him names, even threatened him. He was a witness, he needed to be a partner in crime. They taunted him about his scruples, but that wasn’t the problem. It was simply too ugly, the whole thing. The single room of Gert’s commuter apartment, the four mismatched armchairs arranged for the event, the dance music from the stereo.
  He paid for his part of the affair and never saw the others again. He had his magazines and photos, his films. That had to be enough. Probably he also had his scruples, that only showed themselves this once in distaste for the situation.

Håkan, his desire, and his disgust at the whole thing. He sees himself as better than this, or at least better than Gert, Torgny and Ove. I don't think he's disgusted with what the boy would do for him, but at the baseness of the event, no emotions, just sex. This is so much the opposite of what he wants. It was "simply too ugly".

The part that makes me believe that Håkan hadn't actually 'given in' is the final highlight "He had his magazines and photos, his films. That had to be enough". To me it seems that he only fantasised about the physical aspect of his desires and didn't actually put it into practice. Although, I could be wrong, as he later gets into trouble for fondling young boys in the street, gets beaten up, ends up in the police station. But that could also just be the alcohol allowing him to do things he wouldn't normally do.

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[ofelia]

I honestly don't think he does give in.
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I was referring to a bit later on after that passage, when he's in the library. He does take the boy into the bathroom stall with him, but nothing much happens. He got pretty close though, but if I remember right he starts to imagine that it's Eli since this boy isn't beautiful enough and that's why he can't go through with it, because he genuinely loves Eli and does have certain ideals. I do agree with the rest of what you said though.

[lombano]

...he genuinely loves Eli and does have certain ideals. I do agree with the rest of what you said though.

He tried to bargain with Eli into submitting to him as a condition for going out for more food. In other words: he tried to starve a child into sexual submission to him.

Hakan, can choose to act, or not to act, on his hormones. He can leave Eli. Wait til Eli goes to sleep and "run like the rising river in the spring."

Exactly. Haakan can refrain and survive. Eli cannot. Their beasts are different.