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Deconstructionist Criticism In 'The Chaser'

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The Chaser is a short story about a selfish and desperate man, Alan, who is insanely in love with this beautiful woman, Diana, who is a victim in this story. Alan always tries to get in contact with Diana and try to be with her, even after being rejected several times. One day Alan goes to a creepy apartment in a shady neighborhood, hoping to find the answers to his problems by talking to an old man. The old man provided him with a love potion, warning Alan about the negative effects the potion has and tried to sell him the life cleaner instead. Alan bought the love potion anyway and gave it to Diana, who as a result fell in love with Alan, and became obsessed with him. Soon after getting too annoyed with Diana’s overbearing behavior, Alan decides to go back to the old man and buys the life cleanser, which then kills Diana. Deconstructionist criticism argues that every text has multiple meanings due to the fact that there is no single meaning of any word. Therefore, there is no single meaning of a text. The word chaser has two meanings. One way chaser is defined would be when a person goes after another. …show more content…

In the beginning, Alan is in love with Diana and constantly calls her and asks for her to go out with him, even though she turns him down repeatedly. He is so desperate of earning her love that he buys this love potion that will change her view on Alan in many ways. The old man explains, “she will change all together. She will want nothing but solitude and you” (“The Chaser”). Towards the end of the story, it is inferred that Alan goes back to the old man and buys the life cleaner. The old man says, “Au revoir,” (Collier). This signifies that they will meet again. Like an alcohol chaser, Alan would buy the life cleaner to undo the damage of the love potion. In comparison to the burning of alcohol, Diana’s addiction to Alan leads him to getting the poison and reducing the destruction caused by the love

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