Character Analysis
Fearless Leader?
The self-proclaimed leader of the reformed vampire support group, Sanford's always on a soapbox—well, at least according to Nina anyway. She calls him "a humorless, opinionated know-it-all" (3.9), and says, "you'd think he was our lord and master, the way he carries on" (1.35). He's made a ton of rules for the other vamps to observe, which they do, but grudgingly.
Along these lines, Sanford likes to tell people what he thinks is right for them on a personal level. For instance, he's constantly telling Nina that her writing is an escapist fantasy and a refusal to deal with reality: "You might have lived for fifty-one years […] but you're still a kid at heat. You're stuck in a teenage time warp. You still think like a teen. You still behave like a teen" (1.71). Ouch, right? Sanford sure doesn't bother sugar coating things.
Let's not be too hard on Sanford, though. With the help of his wife, Maud (who's now dead), he's done a lot of great things for vampire-kind: "It was Sanford who freed us from the necessity of drinking human blood. It was Sanford who started the Reformed Vampire movement. And it was Sanford who finally dealt with Casimir, confining him for more than sixty years in a strongbox under a cement slab" (3.9). Does Sanford like rules and have strong opinions? Yup—but while this might be annoying on a day to day basis, big picture, it's pretty awesome.
Old-Fashioned Gentleman
Sanford's old-fashioned—like, literally. Check him out: "Despite his balding scalp and clipped mustache—despite his preference for three-piece suits and fob watches—you'd never guess that he was a hundred and forty years old" (1.40). He doesn't just look like a gentleman, though; he often acts like one, too, including standing up for members of the group when they're being picked on. So when Nina loses her calm and snaps at Horace, calling him a waste of space and other not-nice things, Sanford's response is:
"I'm not surprised that you're feeling angry, Nina […] You've been through a lot over the past few days, and it must have been traumatic. But you're dumping a very toxic load of unprocessed fear on the nearest available target, and it isn't fair. It isn't fair to Horace. He's not responsible for the way you feel now." (17.84)
Wow, Sanford—way to stick up for Horace. Because of Sanford's sense of integrity, he'll try almost anything to keep the group together. He even advocates communicating with the McKinnons in an effort to reason with them: "We have to communicate with these people, and find a common point of reference. We have to persuade our enemies to become our friends" (24.45). It sounds nice in theory, but proves to be tough in practice. Still, what matters most is that Sanford wants to try; he gives people the benefit of the doubt.
Another point for Sanford: He effortlessly resists the pull of blood, and thus reacts well in a crisis. Nina observes: "As for Sanford, he was taking it all in stride" (18.92). For a vampire to not even blink at fresh blood (in this case Nefley's), especially when we've seen how hard it is for Nina to resist its pull? Yeah, that's pretty extraordinary. Part of why Sanford's a good leader, then, is because he backs his words with actions—dude doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk. And expects everyone else to fall in line.