The Chaser 1
If you fall in love with someone, but unfortunately, you cannot get any responses from him or her, what would you do with your one-sided love? Do you believe love can be fostered? How is love effectively fostered? Can you prescribe the ingredients of the love potion?
John Collier ( ), British playwright, poet, and novelist. He was famous for numerous fantasies he had written in his lifetime. The New Yorker “The Chaser” was originally published in The New Yorker in December 21, School of Foreign Studies
December 21, 2015 School of Foreign Studies 4 Para. 1-2 Para Para Para Prelude: Austen’s arrival at the old man’s for a love potion. Beginning: The old man is trying to sell his mixture. Development: The wonderful effects of the love potion is disclosed little by little through the dialogue. Climax and Ending: Austen bought the love potion and the old man reminded him of the life- cleaner.
1. What is the image of Austen? “as nervous as a kitten” “peered about for a long time” “pushed open the door, as he had been told to do” “without a word, handed him the card he had been given.” Austen is depicted as a timid, skeptical and hesitant character. If he had been not told to, he wouldn’t have the courage to enter the room. December 21, 2015 School of Foreign Studies 5
2. What are the characteristics of Austen’s words? Austen tends to employ sentences that are short, stuttering and incomplete. This impresses the audience with his apprehension, hesitation and horror. December 21, 2015 School of Foreign Studies 6
3. Why does Austen want to buy the love potion so eagerly? Because he was driven by the overpowering desire to win the love of Diana.
4. What is Austen’s understanding of love? Austen was filled with illusions and unrealistic expectations of love. To him, love meant the entire possession of the lover. When the old man talked about the magic effect of the love potion and described the expectant possessive of love, Austen cried “That is love”.
5. Why do you think the old man told Austen about the life- cleaner before selling the love potion? The experienced old man had encountered many young men who had been in the grip of romantic desire before, but who eventually got tired of the possessive love they had experienced. He knew for sure that Austen’s possessive love wouldn’t last long. It would eventually bore and anger him. He expected that when his enthusiastic passion changed into hatred. Austen would come to him again, because he had already seen those disillusioned customers return to buy the “chaser” so that they could be free from the women for whom they had previously bought the love potion.
6. What’s the function of the surprising ending of the old man’s speech of farewell? The wise old man had a good understanding of men like Austen: They were filled with illusions about love but once in the possession of this love, they were most likely to be tormented to such a degree that they would like to buy the life-cleaner. The cynical tone of the old man gives what he said a double meaning. December 21, 2015 School of Foreign Studies 10
7. Why is love potion priced so low at only 1 dollar while the glove-cleaner so high? It is easy for a young man to fall in love, yet hard for him to stick to it. That’s why he has to pay a large amount to get himself out of it. The other reason for the low price of the love potion may be that by doing so, the old man can attract more customers to his primary commodity, the glove-cleaner.
8. Why is “The Chaser”, instead of “The Love Potion”, chosen as the title of the story? Love, however fiery and fierce at the beginning, may probably end up in remorse. This is also the theme of the story Anything precious, including love, is most likely to have an end. A person can easily fall in love and get married, but what awaits him/her could be endless remorse (regret), and a wish that it might end as soon as possible. So one should be wise to keep their eyes open when they are in love though love is said to be blind. December 21, 2015 School of Foreign Studies 12