The Chaser by John Collier

The Chaser is a story about a young man, Alan Austen, who is deeply in love with a woman called Diana, and wants her to feel the same about him. Apparently, she is indifferent to him. For that reason, Alan decides to go and see an old man who has an unusual job, he sales magic potions. When they start speaking about the potions, the old man shows him a liquid named glove-cleaner or life-cleaner, a potion of five thousand dollars. But Alan says that he needs a love potion. The old man tells him that there’s a love potion which costs only one dollar. Before giving the liquid to Alan, the old man says that the effects are everlasting. He assures Alan that only with a tiny measure; she will only want to be with him, to know everything about him, and to devote her complete life to satisfy him with overwhelming love. Finally Alan takes the liquid and leaves the place.
In my opinion, the principal character, Alan, who claims to be in love with Diana, is completely obsessed with her. He doesn’t take into account the way she feels about him, and neither has he tried to gain her love by his own means. I believe that we should try to accept how things are, without forcing things to happen. Besides the fact that he wants her to live only to love him, makes me think that a healthy relationship is the one in which both persons have the right to keep certain things for themselves, to have their own privacy and to be ordinary people as well as lovers. That’s the reason why I consider this an “obsession’s story” instead of a “love’s story”.

Sunshine