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The theme of love is recurring throughout the novel and is strengthened through the relationship of the narrator with the protagonist Desiree. Desiree is introduced to the reader as “the postmaster’s daughter”, (Mohlele, 2018: 5). Desiree was an important part of the narrator’s life, hopes, and dreams in the novel. The narrator describes her as “my Disree”, (Mohlele, 2018: 5). The novel indicates that the narrator is hopelessly in love with Desiree; hopeless because he never realizes his hope and dream to be with her, yet he indicates to the reader that he loves her despite her seeming to brush him off and reject his love. This strengthens the theme of love as being hopeless and highlights the narrator’s loss of love throughout the novel.
The narrator indicates that when he saw Desiree “his knees were molten with love”, (Mohlele, 2018: 5), and that he did his “utmost to contain his blossoming heart”, (Mohlele, 2018: 5). He states that he “associates tonsils with love”, (Mohlele, 2018: 5) because Desiree often became sick with tonsils. The extract indicates that the narrator “bought small things with big intentions”, which included “tonsil prescriptions” with the hope that Desiree would warm her heart to him and see how much he cared about her. Through his actions, the narrator tried to make Desiree love him as he did her but never succeeded. The narrator indicates: “to which she, with fire in her eyes, countered: ‘What do I have to do for you to leave me alone?”, (Mohlele, 2018: 7). This response from Desiree indicates that she does not share the same feeling of love towards the narrator and that he is oblivious to her rejection and blinded by his love for her.
The narrator’s love for Desiree is hopeless yet he is determined to win her over: “Desiree and I had an understanding, fraught though it was; raging love torrents received lukewarm courtesy”, (Mohlele, 2018: 8). The narrator worked hard to earn money “to give impetus to his suit”, (Mohlele, 2018: 7) so that he could gain Desiree’s affection. His efforts were met with “lukewarm courtesy” from her which indicates that she never warmed up to his love. She wanted him to leave her alone. Sadly, she was left alone when Sophiatown was demolished as the narrator never saw Desiree again after that, (Mohlele, 2018).
The narrator’s blindness to Desiree’s coldness towards him is highlighted through the use of double-entendres creates two different realities within which the relationship between the narrator and Desiree takes place: the first reality is the actual reality in which Desiree does not love the narrator and is cold towards him. The second reality is the one in which the narrator creates an imaginary reality in which he reads Desiree’s responses as hopeful. This is seen in the statement: “to which she, with fire in her eyes”. The actual interpretation of “fire in her eyes” is that Desiree shows anger and annoyance towards the narrator’s continuous efforts to win her love. The second interpretation is the illusioned one of the narrator who reads this “fire” as passion and intensity.
The theme of love is one linked to hopelessness through this relationship between the narrator and Desiree. Desiree never returns his love, yet the narrator keeps thinking of her and holding on to hope even after the town is demolished and when he is imprisoned. This theme creates conflict and highlights the frustrations which the narrator goes through relating to his hopes and dreams which are never realized.
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