The Chaser

Collier presents his story as a wise parable about the limits of romantic love. His skepticism doesn’t come from nowhere. In the 20th century, the advertising industry coopted and commercialized the valorization of romantic love and passion that had developed in the 19th century. Glorified individualistic romance and the rejection of societal expectations that went with it became a way to sell a specific lifestyle. Its absence from a customer’s life became a useful cudgel to compel consumption of products that would augment personal attributes like beauty aids, scents, and clothing.

In this story, when Alan Austen is faced with the fact that the object of his affection does not return his feelings, he does exactly what advertising has been telling him to do—he seeks out a product that will help him couple up. Capitalism has created Alan’s need and the shop proprietor is there to fill it. Of course, the twist of the story is that filling the need for love will necessarily soon create the need for freedom, as the story is unable to imagine a world in which Diana both loves Alan and maintains her own individuality. The shop proprietor will thus not only profit from this trade in unrealistic romantic love, but also in its disillusionment.