"Queering" the American Nuclear Family

In Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, I can see a small family form, at least within the first two parts of the book. This family is made up of Louis, Claudia and Lastat. They act like a family and the two men raise the little vampire girl. It is as if Louis is more of the motherly, nurturing character, as he is the one to educate Claudia with books and art. He and Claudia also sleep together. He is the caregiver; whereas Lastat plays the more fatherly role by teaching Claudia how to hunt and how to enjoy the hunt. He cares little about how she acts or what else she learns. This little family is different then the traditional American nuclear family however. There is not a mother and a father, but two males. Yes, one may take on more of a motherly role, but they are in fact two males. The “queering” of the traditional American nuclear family comes in, not only I the fact that there are two males, but also that both males were used to create Claudia, as a vampire. Louis started it by drinking of her blood, but she did not die. Then later as he was finishing her off, Lastat took her from Louis just before she died. Louis says, “I realized what he (Lastat) was doing, that he had cut his wrist and given it to her and she was drinking.” (pg 91) It took both of these males to create this child. That is not the way of the nuclear family. Traditionally it takes a male and a female, but here it is done by just the males. Not just one of the males, but both.
Then later on the family dynamic changes yet again. Lastat is gone, maybe dead, maybe not. Now it is as if Louis and Claudia have progressed not just from a father and daughter relationship, but it has turned into an almost sexual relationship. I am not sure if vampires have sex, but if they do I am pretty sure that Claudia and Louis would have gone there. Not only do they share a coffin, but they share blood as well. Claudia gave Louis some of her blood before she was a vampire, obviously, but then again later on she offers some to him so he can make it through the night. She also says, “I can’t bear you to look at me the way you did. I cannot bear it if you do not love me!” (pg. 139 ) She cries for him not to leave and wants to be with him forever. Later she kisses him. This family dynamic went from father, daughter to lovers. The is definitely not the traditional American nuclear family.