Essay Questions

What is satirical about the relationship between Alison and Nicholas?

Nicholas falls in love with Alison in Greece, and they both get married. The reader comprehends that the two are compatible and happy. Ironically, both Alison and Nicholas are fearful of one another, and they fail to reciprocate their love for each other. The main challenge facing this couple is the misinterpretation of communication. It is satirical that Nicholas is not confident enough to tell Alison how much he loves her. Alison interprets Nichola's silence as a sign of boredom and displeasure. Therefore, Alison feels that she is the reason for Nicholas' unhappiness. On the contrary, Nicholas loves Alison very much, but he does not know how to express it. On the other hand, Alison is also remaining silent, and Nicholas misinterprets it as a sign of denial, and at last, they break up. Therefore, it is ironic that the two love birds break up for the wrong reasons because of communication misapprehension.

How does John Fowels develop the theme of mistrust in his book ‘The Magus’?

Throughout the book, Nicholas is depicted as an apprehensive individual who is always suspicious of everything. Towards the end of the book, the reader realizes that Nicholas is justified to be distrustful because of the experiences that he has undergone throughout his life. For instance, Nicholas lost his parents in a plane crash when he was still a young man, which greatly destabilized him. When he moves to Greece as an English teacher, he meets a beautiful woman called Alison. The two fell in love, but they broke up and went separate ways out of Nicholas' paranoia. Consequently, Nicholas is unable to establish stable relationships because of fear and suspicion in his life.

What does the author mean when saying, "To write poetry and commit suicide, apparently so contradictory, had the same, attempt to escape?"

Throughout the book, the author portrays Nicholas as an individual who is suffering from distrust. He is not contented with his life because the things around him are not appealing at all. Nicholas thinks that his love for writing poetry will help him heal from his fear, but the reality is that he is running away from the truth. Paradoxically, despite hiding in poetry, Nicholas tries to commit suicide, but the attempt fails. Subsequently, the best way for Nicholas to solve his problems is to accept the truth and not rely on his poetry because it gives him false comfort.