Theme of the chaser by john collier?

Answer 1

yes i do eat salt

Answer 2

Love is often exemplified by candlelit dinners, bouquets of roses, heart-shaped chocolates and kisses. We often get the impression that these are the only things that comprise the state of being in love. But with the images of roses and chocolates, the reality of love is compromised. There is a much bigger world than the mere exchange of passionate looks and sweet words. There is the harsh reality that even in love, there is tragedy.

In "The Chaser" by John Collier, the main character, Alan Austen, searched desperately for a painless solution to his dilemma. But Alan's love for Diana is shallow. Alan's decision to go to the potion-maker is like forcing Diana to love him. Love, in its truest sense, must be something borne out of deep, mutual feelings between two people. It is something shared. However, this is not the case in this story. Alan's desperate attempt is not noble in any sense; what he is doing is merely luring Diana into his trap. Only, Diana is unaware that she is being pushed into this relationship. "She is already [everything to me]. Only she doesn't care about it" (par. 28). Alan is deceiving not only Diana but himself as well. He is making himself believe that she will actually fall for him. But in reality, the only thing Diana will be falling for is his trap. You want love to come naturally. There is nothing like the feeling of being in love and being loved in return. Alan wants to be loved by Diana in return very, very badly so he thinks that the love potion is the answer to his prayers.

Alan is simply chasing after his dream of being with Diana and there is nothing wrong with that. But the manner of his pursuit is questionable. Certainly, there is nothing wrong about hoping for what is desired. However, in this case, hope was provided for by a potion, a supernatural substance supposedly capable of making one fall madly in love. Magic realism comes into play through this potion. A magical element unobtrusively inserted into everyday living is magic realism. In stories like Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and the famous television series, Bewitched, wherein magic was used to craft relationships, the love that took place was clearly superficial. This method of making people fall in love is tragic because it does not give the other party the freedom to choose.

The effects of the potions the old man creates are said to be permanent. "The effects are permanent, and extend far beyond the mere casual impulse. But they include it. Oh, yes they include it. Bountifully, insistently. Everlastingly" (par. 19). The insistent effects of the potion is explained in the 23rd paragraph. "'For indifference,' said the old man, 'they substitute devotion. For scorn, adoration… -and however gay and giddy she is, she will change altogether. She will want nothing but solitude and you.'" Diana will want to know everything that about Alan. She will want to be involved in everything he does. She will very carefully look after Alan. "If you are an hour late. She will be terrified. She will think that you are killed" (par. 33). This explains part of the insistent effects of the potion. The other part is elucidated by its everlasting effects, which will therefore result to the need of the glove-cleaner. The effects of the love potion were laid out for him by the old man and yet he heeded none of it. All that Alan needed to do was to comprehend the old man's warnings. But the effects, Diana's extreme curiosity, her over protectiveness, her paranoia, her actual makeover, overwhelmed Alan which made him turn a deaf ear to the advice. Anyone in the right state of mind would not go as far as Alan just to be loved in return. Alan is too one-dimensional to realize that. His referral to the potion as wonderful shows how narrow his mind is as depicted in the 38th paragraph. "'And how much,' said Alan, 'is this wonderful mixture?'" How could anyone be this shallow and still think that this is such a "wonderful mixture?" But Alan was obviously just holding on to the string of hope he had, ignorant of the implications. This way of loving is tragic because it is not real. It could even be said that he does not really love Diana and that he only is in love with himself because of a lack of sincerity. Artificial is what it is. Artificial love is indeed a tragedy.