The Chaser (Short Story) Overview

John Collier's short story "The Chaser" takes place over a period of about five to ten minutes. It took place some time in the 1900s, probably early to mid 1900s. The story takes place in a small Building on Pell Street, probably in the United States of America.

This story is told by a limited narrator, in a third person point of view.

The protagonist in the story goes by the name of Alan Austin. Alan's main trait is a young man seeking deep love. The one, and only incidental character in the story is an old man. His purpose in the story is to be a potion seller, which is to sell the love potion to Alan. The conflict in the story is an internal conflict. Allen is trying to find a way for his girlfriend; Diana, will fall deeply in love with him. He attempts to solve his problem by buying a love potion from the potion seller. Not told in the story, Alan comes back to the Potion Shop in a later date, seeking a potion for which to remove the results of the love potion.

The story starts with Alan Austin, walking his way to a potion shop on Pell Street. When he gets there, he enters to find an old man in a small room walled with many potion bottles. The two men begin to discuss the various potions available in the small shop. The old man explains the effects of the "Spot Removing Potion" which has the power to instantly kill anyone, and goes on to explain that it is five-thousand dollars. This price is very expensive to a young man such as Alan, and the old potion seller knows this. The old man goes on to explain that that is for older, veteran buyers of his potions. Allen explains that he simply needs a potion, which will make Diana, his girlfriend, love him. The old man explains the consequences of the potion, mostly pertaining to the fact that Diana would become extravagantly fixated with him. Alan loves the idea of this, and goes on to request a price value for the given potion. The