It's so interesting to me that the female vampires - Claudia, Madeleine, Gabriella - are never tormented by their vampirism the way the men often are. Claudia was turned as a child, so it makes sense that she sees her vampirism as a natural part of her, since she has very limited memories of being mortal
And it makes sense for Gabriella and Madeleine, too, because of the lives they led as women in a world that hates women. I keep thinking about Gabriella's five dead children - children she clearly never wanted but were forced on her anyway, because her only purpose was to make sons for the husband she despised. Five dead children, one unbaptized, which meant it either died inside her or in her arms shortly after. No time to mourn because your husband is on you again, because it's his right to breed you like a cow. Even wanted pregnancies come with huge physical and psychological tolls, but unwanted ones, one after another after another after another after another after another - it's endless, on-going violation. Maybe she tried to love her children, but is it really a surprise that she gave up? Especially when it's a coin toss if they'll see their fifth birthday? Especially since her sons, should they survive, will be trained to hate her anyway, because that's how male power propagates itself?
She had one son who was different - a son who was more like her than he was like his father. And so he was supposed to be her escape - not a literal escape, which was impossible, but a symbolic one. If he can get away, then a part of her can, too
Except, of course, this is a story about vampires, and her symbolic escape turned literal. Of course she's delighted! She finally has what she has always wanted - control. She has no pity for the world that never pitied her - not even for the son who saved her from it. She is a monster, and so she is safe. She will never feel conflicted about that.
And Madeleine, an orphan, her whole family wiped at once, leaving her alone in a world at war. She watches her neighbor starve to death and makes a choice to trade her body for a chance at survival, which is already a terrible sin, but the even worse one is that she refuses to be ashamed for it. That's what the mob wants most from her - for her to feel shamed. They parade her through the streets, shave off her hair, never let her forget for a moment that she chose to live instead of dying like a good woman should have, from now on fair game for any honest man who needs to let off some steam since she has permanently lost protection from sexual violence. Of course she laughs in Armand's face when he doubts that she could handle vampirism. The world has cast her in the role of monster already.
