A Response to “The Ripper”

*original article can be found* 

http://305upinflames.blogspot.ca/

The example of Stefan Salvitore and his desperate attempt to be human in the Vampire Diaries reminded me of another character from another popular vampire show, Godric from True Blood.

Godric is the former Vampire Sheriff of Area 9 in Dallas, Texas. He is 2, 000 year old and in his lifetime suffers much cruelty at the hands of the human's and his own maker which instilled in him a great amount of hatred and resentment. He overcomes hatred and is depicted as friendly toward humans, interested in their well-being and supportive of a peaceful co-existence between vampires and human beings. Having been witness to so much suffering he often takes on the role of a 'Job' character as he questions why so much suffering exists in the world.

In a move of self-sacrifice to help bring peace between humans and his kind Godric hands himself over to a fanatical church bent on destroying vampires.  He hopes that his death will bring about some sort of reconciliation and atonement for his many crimes against humans during his long life.

When the church's plans are foiled Godric blames himself after vampires and humans die at the hands of a suicide bomber. After such a long life, Godric finds himself weary of existence and saddened that humans and vampires refuse to work together and coexist so he kills himself by “meeting the sun”.

Before he dies Godric he says to Sookie Stackhouse, “A human with me at the end, and human tears. Two thousand years and I can still be surprised. In this, I see God." He is like Dracula as he requires a human to reciprocally care about him and is redeemed before he dies. His redemption is signified he painlessly evaporates into bright blue ash and is scattered on the wind rather than slowly burning when exposed to the sun.

As in our discussion of Christianity and Violence Godric see's God in a moment of violence and death and in doing so is redeemed. Godric unlike the vampires we discussed in class who try to gain their humanity, Godric is seen as possessing more humanity then even the humans in True Blood.