The main theme of The
Temptation of Two, by Susan Fox Rogers, is in my opinion the multiplicity of
the different options that ae available for journeys.
When Rogers travels
alone, when she takes that option, she has a feeling of freedom, but also a
pang of loneliness, and is more prone to going to new places and pushing
herself, despite her best efforts.
At one point, it is also mentioned that she
wanted a kiss and that nature could not give it, so she did yearn a bit for
human interaction.
On the other hand,
when Emily was with her, she did get human interaction, she did get that kiss,
but at the cost of silence, and taking an entirely different route than the one
before. The journey was fundamentally different from what it could have been
without her.
This is best
exemplified in this quote: “What is safer? The folly of two or the caution of
one? Neither and both”, which once more implies that the choices are not
necessarily better or worse, they both have their own merits that can’t be
compared.
Two interesting uses
of language I found in this text:
The title. “The
Temptation of Two” refers to a yearning for a second kiss after Rogers kissed
Emily.
This highlights the meaning of the story, as it now is being told almost
exclusively to reach that point and is revealed to revolve around it. This hidden
meaning is, of course, the feelings that Rogers harbors for her friend. She
even states it directly, saying she was glad when she broke up with her
girlfriend, but there was a clever misdirect soon after, so this hint may have
gone unnoticed.
“Why was I following a
heartbroken woman in the dark” brings imagery of “the blind leading the blind,
and is an effective tool to tell the reader how dangerous Emily’s current
mental state is.
That’s all I have for
today, I apologize if it’s a bit shorter than last time but even despite this I
do think I examined what was most worth examining.
Until next time,
Victor M. Barreiro!
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