Character Relationship Map: Vamp U

Characters

• Chris Keller / Mary Lipinsky (played by Julie Gonzalo) — protagonist

  Chris Keller is a nineteen-year-old student who becomes involved in a sexual relationship with her history professor, Arthur Levine. She confides in Fred Green, faces an attempted exposure of Arthur,...

• Arthur Levine (played by Gary Cole) — supporting

  Arthur Levine is a history professor who has secretly lived as a vampire for centuries. After accidentally killing Mary Lipinsky, he survives on animal blood and becomes involved with Chris Keller, wh...

• Fred Green (played by Maclain Nelson) — supporting

  Fred Green is the person Chris Keller confides in about her relationship with Arthur Levine. He recognizes that her affair with a professor is not the ordinary college experience she expected and advi...

• Tom Slansky (played by Matt Mattson) — supporting

  Tom Slansky is a sophomore photography major at Hawthorne College who introduces the story and investigates Arthur Levine. After discovering a photograph in which Chris Keller appears beside Arthur’s...

• Gregor (played by Jason Celaya) — minor

  Gregor is connected to the historical aftermath of Mary Lipinsky’s death. When Arthur Levine disguises himself as a friar to attend Mary’s funeral, Gregor confronts and fights him. Arthur declares tha...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Arthur Levine → Chris Keller / Mary Lipinsky (Romantic Former Lover) — Arthur's attachment to Chris is emotionally connected to his unresolved love and grief for Mary.

  Centuries earlier, Arthur Levine fell in love with Mary Lipinsky and killed her during an intimate night. His involvement with Chris Keller later give...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Tom Slansky → Arthur Levine (Conflict Investigator And Suspect) — Tom's discovery increases suspicion and helps motivate the effort against Arthur.

  Tom Slansky discovers a photograph showing Chris beside Arthur's umbrella while Arthur is absent from the image, treating it as apparent proof that Ar...

• Chris Keller / Mary Lipinsky → Fred Green (Social Confidante) — Fred serves as a trusted person to whom Chris reveals her discomfort.

  Chris Keller confides in Fred Green that she expected ordinary college experiences rather than a sexual relationship with her professor.

• Arthur Levine → Gregor (Conflict Combatant) — Gregor directly opposes Arthur during the aftermath of Mary's death.

  Arthur disguised himself as a friar to attend Mary's funeral, where he fought Gregor.

Story Analysis

A vampire professor's unresolved grief collides with a dangerous college affair and an emerging plan to destroy him.

Plot Progression

1. The Professor's Hidden Curse — Tom introduces Arthur Levine as a history professor who is secretly a vampire. The story then moves into Arthur's tragic history with Mary Lipinsky.
2. Grief Beneath the Fangs — Arthur kills Mary during an intimate encounter and is rejected by her family. His failed feeding and centuries of animal-blood survival establish his guilt and unusual condition.
3. An Affair Reawakens Memory — Arthur becomes involved with Chris, whose presence evokes Mary's memory and deepens his grief. Chris confides in Fred, who advises her to end the affair.
4. Evidence Against the Professor — Tom discovers a photograph that appears to prove Arthur is a vampire. Chris and others confront Arthur with reflected sunlight and a wooden stake, but the attack fails.
5. The Party Stake Operation — The reported total of twenty-nine victims alarms those planning against Arthur. At a college party, they isolate Arthur and Chris for a direct staking attempt, but the excerpt ends before the result.