Character Analysis
Babs Knows
Although Claudia is the main gal in Louis's life, Babette serves as sort of a prelude. She's one of a gaggle of sisters (and one brother) on a nearby plantation. Louis describes her as "not only as smart as her brother, but far wiser" (1.180). When said brother is killed by Lestat, Louis urges Babette to defy the gender norms of the time and take over the plantation herself.
She does. And she is very successful. But there's always a rub: Babette knows that Louis is some sort of supernatural creature, and she thinks he's from the devil. She tells him this when his plantation, Pointe du Lac, is burned. Hearing that this woman who he loves from a distance, and who tries to help him, also thinks he's a demon, he starts to hate himself even more. We didn't even know that was possible.
Louis gets out of her life, but later he hears that "Babette had died young, insane, restrained finally from wandering toward the ruins of Pointe du Lac, insisting she had seen the devil there and must find him" (1.575). No wonder Louis hates himself. Everything he touches seems to crumble and fall apart.