Examples Of Foreshadowing In The Chaser

In John Collier’s “The Chaser,” differing view of Alan Austen and the old man about "true love" are conveyed through motivate, perspective, and foreshadowing. Alan Austen is a young and naive man with his biased views on life while the unnamed old man has experience through his age and occupation. In the short story "true love" has contrasting meaning dependent on the point of view.
Mr. Austen's motive can be seen as soon as he enters the old man's domain. He enters with his intention in hand, Alan wants his 'interest' to love him as he loves himself. This self-centered love is seen each time he expresses his delight to becoming the object of her affections, "That is love!" cried Alan". The old man goes on about how Diana will change all together to only hold devotion and admiration to Alan. In his meaning of “true love”, Alan thinks it to be an …show more content…
Even in the title of the short story foreshadowing can be found. A chaser is “a drink drunk after another of a different kind”. It is implied that after attaining the love potion sometime in the future the idea of murder will not seem so dreadful and Alan will return to finish his business with the old man. The old man knows the irony of his potions; one cheap for love, the other expensive poison, both undetectable. As Alan leaves with his love potion the old man bids him a "Au revoir" in french the literal meaning is ‘see you again’. The old man is repetitive in his actions to bring to light the cost of the ‘life-cleaner’,”For one teaspoonful, which is sufficient, I ask five thousand dollars. Never less. Not a penny less”. The old man constantly repeats the price of the said ‘life-cleaner’ so that it will be etched into Alan’s mind. In the pursuit of fake ‘true love’ the old man finds that it goes hand in hand with murder because if Alan bought the easy way into love then he would buy the easy way