Of course, with all novels, the character is just a character and I think that will be the most challenging part. No one can really know Claudia's true feelings and emotions because we are not told, so there could be a hundred takes on it, I suppose that it the creative portion though. Another uncertainty I have is the format to turn it in on. I was considering actually writing by hand in a journal, but then I don't know if that would be difficult to read. That is one portion I would like some input on. It would take a little extra work, but it might give it a more realistic feeling. Along with the journal I would have the 3-5 page paper in which I could give a more detailed account of my writing, which I can't really know because I haven't delved too deep into the project yet.
So, overall, that is my idea. There are still a few kinks to be worked out, but overall I think it will be challenging but fun to explore this character more deeply. I find her to be an interesting subject and already I have a lot of ideas of what she must have been going through.
I really enjoy the idea of giving Claudia a larger voice. She was a huge part of Interview with the Vampire, but was ultimately overshadowed by Louis' voice.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think you need to keep other ideas in consideration, like including further analysis on why Claudia thinks the way she does, and why she does what she does. Asking questions like: Why does she want to find other vampires so badly? Why is she so close to Louis in such a way? What is the relationship between Louis/Claudia? Can it be defined into one particular relationship, or is it an ever changing relationship? What is so special about being a child vampire?
Perhaps using her thoughts in comparison to quotes from Louis in order to emphasize the unique qualities she has. It might also be helpful to incorporate references to dolls, not only as it was used in the novel, but also how we think about it in a Gothic context (I believe we had a small discussion about dolls during the Uncanny essay). It could also be helpful to explore the relationship between Claudia and Louis from her perspective in order to analyze it further.
If you do decide to do it in a handwritten fashion, perhaps you should do it in a particular style. Instead of a straight forward journal, incorporate drawings or doodles wherever desired that represent Claudia. Use poetry or other little quips that you might think she would write, perhaps using other Gothic pieces that may have been written by the time period she was in if they are applicable.
I agree with the above post with the ideas about why Claudia might be thinking the way she does. I think it would be very interesting to maybe go in-depth about her "creation"- almost like when Louis was transformed, what she was feeling and what her thoughts were when she was a little girl with Lestat saving her from death and then Louis transferring her into a vampire.
ReplyDeleteThe doll-idea would be so interesting too! She has such an affinity with them, and it would be interesting to maybe get some ideas out there about why she loved dolls so much- maybe in her human life she had a connection with them? I think that a handwritten paper would be really cool too. Something typed wouldn't have the same effect as something written with "feeling" behind it- and in times when she was angry, you could show that, and in times when she was happy as well. I like the ideas for the doodles, as well, as she is, obviously, still a child and she may have wandering thoughts and child-like tendencies while drawing too.
Didn’t Louis write Claudia little notes in the book too? You could like tape them in there or glue them in or something, in a different handwriting, something from Louis… or little pieces of things she’s found over her time as a vampire that she wanted to keep, like a treasure box, but in a journal. It’ll be really interesting to see what you come up with for Claudia’s thoughts, as she is definitely one of the most misunderstood characters, so any light shed upon her feelings would be really neat!
All I can really add is my encouragement towards this project. I, too, often wonder what is going through Claudia's head at times, and it will fascinating to hear her story from her point of view. In terms of the handwriting, there are a lot of fonts out there that look like handwriting. Perhaps that might be easier for you?
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