Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

Roses are a symbol of death throughout the narrative. The central metaphor for vampirism is the poem Hector recites for Sabine about the midnight soil, explaining, “We are the roses that grew in the midnight soil…Our thorns are sharp enough to prick. We are watered by life, and with its bounty, our roots grow deep, our blooms unmarred by age…We are no monster, no mean thing. We are nature’s finest flower” (149). The vampires, as the feral roses, are a symbol of death that grow out of the soil of death and consume blood, the life source of others. They spread death wherever they go, leaving bloodless bodies in their wake. Death is an ageless, inevitable thing, but the feral roses rise after their human death and live again, but their humanity begins to slip away from them, until it’s gone completely.

Soil is a symbol of rebirth throughout the novel. The titular “midnight soil” that permeates the narrative demonstrates how the three protagonists are reborn as vampires. Though they are not physically buried in the ground when they’re turned into vampires, the metaphorical midnight soil allows for their rebirth, which in turn offers them the opportunity for freedom. After she turns Charlotte, Sabine describes how the rebirth impacts them, saying, “Others stay put, and wither in their boxes. We draw up our roots, and find new ground in which to grow” (368). Sabine frames their ability to find new soil in which to grow over and over again points to the novel’s thematic interest in the Hunger for Freedom and Identity Formation. If the soil no longer suits them, they can leave and plant themselves elsewhere, restarting their lives and writing a new story for themselves. Starting over and cultivating a new identity is another type of rebirth, and Sabine and Charlotte replant themselves in many different soils throughout their relationship and its painful aftermath.