Irony In The Chaser

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The short story, “The Chaser”, written by John Collier, portrays an overall message that a person cannot force another person to fall in love with them; even if one person believes that they are meant to be together. The theme of the short story is about love and how it can have its deceiving ways. Love can mean many different things, depending upon who the person. If a person is forceful for love, or tricks someone for love, it’s not true love or even love at all. Through Jon Collier’s brilliant use of sarcasm, irony and symbolism, he describes how a young man tries to do whatever it takes for a woman to fall in love with him. The first element used in “The Chaser” is sarcasm. In the story, there is an old man who owns a shop that …show more content…

The old man explains two different types of potions. The first type of potion isn’t really a potion it’s more of a poison. “Here is a liquid as colorless as water, almost tasteless, quite imperceptible, in coffee, wine or any other beverage. One might call it a life-cleaner” (Collier). The old man later goes on to tell Alan that the life-cleaner’s price is five thousand dollars, not a penny less. Then the old man talks about the love potion as he says, “This is just a dollar” (Collier). The ironic part about the two potions is the price the old man offers for each of them. Everyone who goes to the old man wants the love potion not knowing the powerful affects the potion has when the potion gets used. The life-cleaner on the other hand has a price of five thousand dollars. A customer would think to themselves when the old man explains the potion to them, why would someone pay that much for a poison and the love potion is very cheap? The old man knows the true affects the love potion has when it is used and knows the customers will be back to counteract the effects of the potion. That’s why the poison is five thousand dollars. The person will have no choice but to buy the poison in order for them to end the effects of the love

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