(Best writing) Cracking “The Chaser” (2024)

The short story “The Chaser,” by John Collier, delves deep into the unspoken facts of a typical relationship, illustrating the power struggle between the two sexes. The story begins with an anxious young man, Alan Austen, meeting with a mysterious old man that supposedly sells potions. After being offered “life-cleaner,” which can be reasonably inferred to be poison, Alan hesitantly asks the old man for what he’s really looking for: love. He is desperately in love with a girl named Diana, and is there to buy reciprocation. The two have a conversation about the effects of the potion and how “[Diana] will want nothing but solitude and [Alan]” (Collier). Alan is ecstatic about getting exactly what he thinks he wants, and the story concludes with his purchase of the love potion. Either blissfully ignorant or extremely cold-hearted, Alan plans to take this young woman’s entire life away from her all due to his distorted perception of what love really is. It’s apparent that Alan believes what many men believe: that love is equivalent to unwavering loyalty and control. Throughout the novel, the old man gives examples of the servitude and absolute devotion Diana will give him. According to Alan, “That is love” (Collier). That comment by Alan shows the false expectation that many men have of a relationship and the false definition many men have of love. For the most part, men believe that their wants should dominate the relationship and are confused about what love really is, both of which cause the power struggle that Alan will eventually erase from his life by use of the “chaser.”

Throughout the story, the old man talks of “How carefully [Diana] will look after [Alan],” and how “[Alan] will be [Diana’s] sole interest in life” (Collier). This demonstrates the desire and even expectation that many men have for their female counterpart in a relationship. Often times, men aren’t looking for a partner, but rather a servant of some sort. They often weigh a relationship on the basis of whether or not their wants are being met, as is made clear in the story by the lack of regard for Diana’s feelings. There is never any mention of what Diana might want from either the old man or Alan, indicating that they don’t care about how Diana will be affected by Alan’s decision. There is plenty of commentary, though, on how Alan will feel. While Diana is playing the role of slave to Alan, “…she will never give [Alan] the least, the very least, grounds for uneasiness” (Collier). Once again, a statement such as this proves that Alan plans to get everything he wants out of the relationship without sacrificing anything of his own. This relates back to the concept of male domination and power in a relationship. The only thing Alan is getting from this is power and control over Diana, which is all that he wants. If Alan really loved her, he wouldn’t steal her freedom of mind with a love potion. The perfect relationship for a man is one in which he gets all of the affection and pleasure that he desires without putting any effort into keeping it together. Alan wants to be loved and taken care of, but doesn’t want to have any responsibility in the relationship. He doesn’t want to have to work for Diana’s affection. The only thing Alan really cares about is being in charge. However, for any couple to work their must be a give-and-take relationship. What Alan failed to realize is that he would be forced to sacrifice his freedom in order to satisfy Diana’s insatiable desire for Alan’s love.

Another struggle between men and women that is highlighted in this story is the difference in the definition of love. When reading this story, one must consider why the old man sells the love potion for “…just a dollar,” while the poison is “five thousand dollars, never a penny less” (Collier). The reason that the love potion costs so little is because it is an investment for the old man. He knows that Alan, as any man, will get so tired of being watched, interrogated, and cared for that he will “…save up [money] for [poison]” (Collier), which he will then use to kill Diana (clean his life). It is equivalent to a mechanic selling somebody an almost broken car for cheap all the while knowing that eventually that customer will have to come back and pay large amounts of money to get it fixed. That is the reason for the old man’s comment of “Au revoir” (Collier), or “see you again,” as Alan walks away. This also brings up another question. Why would Alan seek to kill Diana even though she “loves” him? The simple answer is that while men want and even expect to be served, they don’t want to be bothered. Even though Alan technically has the power in the relationship since Diana is slave to his desires, Diana is really the one in control. According to the old man, “[Diana] will never allow [Alan] to be tired, to sit in a draught, to neglect [his] food. If [he] is an hour late, she will be terrified. She will think [he is] killed, or that some siren has caught [him]” and she “…will want to know what [he] is thinking about, why [he] smiles suddenly, why [he is] looking sad” (Collier). Such obsession that will be “…bountifully, insistently. Everlastingly” (Collier) a part of his life will become such an annoyance that he will pay to kill her. Diana will be restricting Alan’s freedom for as long as she is alive, so that leaves Alan with just one option to “clean” his life. When Alan buys the potion, he thinks that he is buying her love. In reality, the only thing he bought was her loyalty. As it turns out, Alan’s attempt to buy control over Diana will only end up trapping him and giving Diana the control.

The power struggle that occurs between the two sexes can take many forms and has many complex causes. John Collier’s short story “The Chaser” explores several causes of this conflict and gives examples of what the conflict entails, including the male expectation to dominate the relationship and the flawed perception many men have of love. Both of these are conflicts that lead to the man’s attempt at destroying his personal responsibility in a relationship, which is what the power struggle is in this particular case of Alan and Diana. Alan wants and expects to get all of the reward without having to put in any work for it. It just so happens that Diana’s obsession with him will restrict his freedom, which is why Alan will get rid of the problem he created by using the “chaser.” The name of the story (a “chaser” is a less alcoholic drink used to subdue the effects of the previous stronger drink) implies that the stress that Alan feels during his and Diana’s relationship is greater than the stress he feels after he kills her. To conclude, the primary power struggle between men and women that this story displays is that men have many expectations, and they simply cannot all be met.