“In her lifetime, Gilda had killed reluctantly and infrequently. When she took the blood there was no need to take life.” (Gomez, 31)
Gomez’s The Gilda Stories strongly and thoughtfully deviates from the typical idea of vampires in pop culture and mythology. The novel causes the reader to reconsider what they know about the vampire and monster genres, and what defines these creatures.
Gilda is not an average vampire- Gomez has redefined what a vampire can be. Gilda is loving, caring, and compassionate. She is a protector, even sometimes a motherly figure to the girls at Woodard’s. Just in the opening chapter, she strays from that stereotypical image of a cold, withholding ‘vampire’. While the appearance of a monster would typically flag as danger, or strike fear into a reader, Gilda brings with her a calming presence. She represents safety- both to the reader, and to the characters in the book, particularly The Girl. Our first impression of Gilda is one of her as a savior- literally, some of the first lines from her are, “You needn’t be afraid. I’ll take care of you” (13). This comfort and warmth emanating from Gilda already prompts readers to recognize her as different from other vampires.
However, the most striking difference is that Gilda, as quoted, does not have to kill in order to live, as most vampires that we are familiar with do. It is clear that as they are traditionally depicted, vampires are undeniably monsters. However, this difference that sets Gilda apart from others, the distinction of killing or not killing, led me to ask, what makes a monster?
Is it the act of killing/murder, or other cruel and unusual behaviors, that we define as inherently monstrous, or monstrous behavior? Is there a difference between a simple monster, and a being that depicts monstrous behaviors? While Gilda is seen killing, it is out of defense- not cruel intentions. Arguably, she does not, in this chapter, ever show monstrous behaviors or resemble a monster- in fact, she actively defies the conventional definition of one. But, she is a vampire- she is an unusual, non-human creature. The question stands- what makes a monster, and is Gilda one?