Another Vampire/Human Love Story

Dead Until Dark is about a southern girl named Sookie Stackhouse who falls in love with a vampire named Bill Compton. Sookie lives in Bon Temps, Louisiana and is viewed as being crazy by most of the town. In fact she is not crazy at all, but rather has a telepathic ability. Sookie acts crazy because she has to hear all the sadistic, mean, and just plain wrong thoughts that everyone in the town has. It doesn't help that she works in a bar/grill where there drunk men who have immoral thoughts about her.

She first meets Bill when she is working and proceeds to save him from the "Rats" who were siphoning blood from him. Later when the "Rats" try and kill Sookie, Bill comes to the rescue and saves her even though Sookie is gravely wounded. Bill gives Sookie some of his blood to help her wounds heal and in turn eternally bonds himself to her. Since Sookie drank a substantial amount of Bill's blood, Bill can now sense when Sookie is in danger. Sookie later invites Bill to her house to talk with Gran. After some small talk Sookie and Bill go on a walk where Sookie tells Bill that she likes him because she cannot hear his thoughts. The reader also learns that Bill is very old fashioned telling Sookie that he thinks her dress is too short. Eventually they become attached to a point where Bill claims that Sookie is his. He did this to protect her from other vampires who might think of her as a snack or a play thing. Their love for each other evolves through the story and gets to a point where she loses her virginity to Bill and even lets him bit her in the process.

I view Sookie's character as a very strong female character who goes through traumatizing events throughout the book. She shows her strength by fighting off the "Rats" from taking Bills blood, she also shows it when fighting off Rene. She also shows perseverance to continue her life even though people close to her keep dying, especially Gran, who Sookie was very close with and lived with. She fits many of the characteristics of the male gaze. She considers herself as a pretty blond who has a nice body. Even with these characteristics she is not afraid to speak her mind.

I consider Bill as Sookie's "knight in shinning armor" even though he cannot save her in the daytime because his skin burns in the daytime. Bill is very old fashioned and very protective of Sookie, especially around other vampires. Even when he is forced to go away he finds people to watch over her. Since Bill and Sookie are bonded, Bill will come running when anything is wrong.