Atoning for my sins: the question of Godfrey...

[CliCliR]

I'm currently reading Living Dead in Dallas, the second book in the series, and after meeting Godfrey(Godric?), I'm beginning to question a vampire's conscience.

In the book so far, Sookie has encountered Godfrey and questions his choice to commit suicide due to his past life, murdering children. I get the impression he really regrets having done that in the past.

Does this lead us to believe that TrueVamps have some form of a conscience, that they can regret their actions? In Dead Until Dark, we read that Bill seems to have no problem with killing/hiring other vamps to kill people.

Is Godfrey scared? Now that vampires are mainstreaming, is he afraid that they'll hunt him down and stop him from murdering more and botching up their chances? Is he trying to save them the trouble by killing himself before they can get to him?? Just a question I thought I'd ask.

[Dorian's Kitten]

I've always had the impression that Godfrey was sincere in his regret. Perhaps his age gave him a different perspective, since he certainly did not always believe that it was wrong to hunt humans.
Also, I wouldn't necessarily say that the vampires here don't have a conscience; they certainly show concern for each other on occasion, they just aren't likely to extend that concern to humans. But then most humans have a conscience that doesn't extend to cows, so...

[Theresa Marie86]

Originally Posted by CliCliR

I'm currently reading Living Dead in Dallas, the second book in the series, and after meeting Godfrey(Godric?), I'm beginning to question a vampire's conscience.

In the book so far, Sookie has encountered Godfrey and questions his choice to commit suicide due to his past life, murdering children. I get the impression he really regrets having done that in the past.

Does this lead us to believe that TrueVamps have some form of a conscience, that they can regret their actions? In Dead Until Dark, we read that Bill seems to have no problem with killing/hiring other vamps to kill people.

Is Godfrey scared? Now that vampires are mainstreaming, is he afraid that they'll hunt him down and stop him from murdering more and botching up their chances? Is he trying to save them the trouble by killing himself before they can get to him?? Just a question I thought I'd ask.

That's a great question! Great thread!
*clears throat*
I believe that they do indeed have a conscience, after you read a few more books you will def see that. They have a conscience but it really depends on the vamp and situation. Vampires in the Trueverse feel (and pretty much are) superior to humans. So they feel like they dont have to regard us, and or our feelings. So they don't normally regret what they've done, or eatened for that matter. Humans are food to vamps.. end of story. But Godric is so old.. that he has been relving his life and he feels that he has done some pretty bad stuff, and feels like he has lived a long enough life so he commits suicide. I dont feel like he did it to save himself from being slaughtered, he did it as repentance for himself.

It'd be the same as regretting that you killed a hill of ants.. or as Dorian's Kitten stated eating a cow ( or a cheeseburger). They have their own thoughts, and feelings, and regrets,.. but depending on the vamp those feelings will be different and for Godfry he feels like his life was a huge slaughter. My thoughts are, new vamps have to eat more frequently, while old vamps can go days or weeks without eating.. so maybe Godfry is feeling this as well because for the most part his bloodlust is gone,.. and he has no need to go out and kill people.. and thinks back to when he did and feels like he was a bad person(vamp). But again.. those are just my thoughts.

[oneslikeme]

well i think its hard to generalize here. vampires, like humans, are all different from one another. bill may not have a problem with it if he sees the need for it, but thats just him personally. others may have done more horrific things in their past, and come to a point in their age where they regret it; some maybe have only killed for food, and now that another source is available they feel guilty for what they've done. and of course there are the ones that don't give a flying fig about humans at all, and look at them as merely food or something to play with. there's many different scenarios for why they do or don't feel guilty, and it would depend largely on background and personality.