Blog Post #3

As we progressed through The Gilda Stories, this is where, as they say, the plot thickens. Chapter 5 follows Gilda's time in 1950's Boston. It is here she is running a hair salon. This is likely so she could possibly meet someone to get close to and potentially turn into a vampire. However, she still longs for Bird, who left her a long time ago at this point in the story. At the salon, she learns about this young girl, Toya, who is being terrorized by her pimp, Fox. In the midst of all this, Bird comes back. Upon her return, the two share an intimate moment that is a symbol of them forming an eternal bond. Or, that at least seems to be the point of this particular sexual scene in which they exchange blood. Then, a fire at the salon sends Bird and Gilda to the scene, where Fox is as well. This is where Gilda realizes Fox is also a vampire. At the end of the chapter, Bird and Gilda wage an epic battle against Fox. When they finally get Fox in a vulnerable position, Gilda hesitates because she does not want to kill again. Even saying, "I'm sorry" before ripping out Fox's heart. The end of this chapter once again reveals that Gilda is more than a merciless killing machine. The audience is reminded again that she part human.

Chapter 6 finds Gilda living in New York City about 20 years later. She is working at a theater off Broadway. She has a new friend, his name is Julius. Julius and Gilda are very close, and both seem to have some sort of crush on each other. Gilda gets the idea that she wants to turn him into a vampire. This is once again a representation of that human element Gomez includes so the reader can relate to Gilda. When she commits to making Julius part of her new family, there is another very sexual scene between her and Julius. This once again implies that perhaps physical intimacy is important to the transformation of human to vampire and that it forms that eternal bond that Gilda and Bird share. So, chapters 5 and 6 continue that human element the Gomez instills into her main character . They also give the reader more insight about what the process of becoming a vampire is like, as well as the "alternate" family that Gilda has.