Lust | Themes & Symbolism

Lust Significant Topics

Women Suffer, Men Forget

Nearly all the women in the collection are suffering from the long-term effects of a failed or failing relationship. Many are carrying the emotional baggage and intellectual pain of the rejection experienced at the end of a previous relationship even as they realize their current relationship is also failing. Indeed, several of the stories focus exclusively on these feelings and the resultant disarray they cause in the life of the suffering character. Even many of the female characters who are relatively minor are noted to have been in similar situations or to be cast-off lovers.

In contrast, most of the men in the collection are depicted as being in the process of deliberately moving from one woman to the next. The men generally do not seem to suffer many ill effects from the failures in their relationship, although there are notable exceptions. In many of the stories the men seemingly...
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