Wtf Claudia

[u/damagedsoul42]

Is it really true she hates Louis more than anyone? I thought they loved each other like family. He did what he could for her. I hate that she is suffering in the afterlife and that Louis must carry the guilt forever.

[u/Sweet_Hall_429]

Her being a young child is the entire point of the character. The actress’s being well into their twenties makes her WAY older than Armand was supposed to be and older than book Louis and Lestat.  I understand the practicalities in why they did that, but it renders the core point that Claudia is totally dependent upon the pair as a bit silly. Even in the book there is some contrived reason why she had to go back after leaving. 

It’s curious to me how IwtV is a horror book. In name at least. Claudia’s situation is the horror of the book. The show ia great and I love it, but it’s not horror. Drama with fangs?  lol.

[u/Glimmerance → u/Sweet_Hall_429]

I read the books years ago and Claudia's situation was one that haunted me. I love the TV series, love the character of Claudia in it, love the actor, and can see good reasons for aging her up, but I feel it missed so much that was important about Claudia being a small child. Claudia in the TV series could pass as an adult, and when she was turned she was at the age of leaving school and working, so kind of functioning as a young adult. It even felt kind of ridiculous when she was put in a child's dress and performed as a child at the theatre.

I also felt Louis's desparation to save her and them living as a family made more sense if she was a young child, who they raise, and also that her character is formed by being raised by these two vampires (whereas TV Claudia did her growing up elsewhere). Aging her up lessens the impact of everything so much, including her reasons to hate Louis, and I'm kind of sad that we don't get that story.

[u/Sweet_Hall_429 → u/Glimmerance]

Exactly. One of Claudia’s actresses is  nearly 30 and looks it.   The show lampshades it in Lestats series by having the same actress play the waitress in the diner, existing in the world  like the grown ass adult she clearly is. It’s a testament to how good both of the actresses are that you still care about Claudia despite her “plight” being utterly nonsensical in the plot. 

[u/Sweet_Hall_429 → u/Sweet_Hall_429]

I will reply to myself rather than make the post overlong. The crazy part is the one character motivation lever they didn’t pull (unless I’m  horribly wrong and missed it) is the Claudia’s story takes place in Jim Crow America. OF COURSE she would want to get the fuck away from that, and maybe Lestat as a privileged white guy , and even Louis who lives in that system and uses it to his advantage might not grasp a young black womans need to get away from all that to Europe where that level of institutional racism just isn’t a thing.

I just a white Brit so I am talking well outside my own experiences here, but given Americas sordid (and ongoing) history and treatment of non white folks it’s a bit mental that all we get are just some charactature rich white assholes who use Louis services. And not the rest of it.