The Lover

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1984

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Sections 1-3

Sections 4-6

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Character Analysis

The Narrator

The narrator is the protagonist of The Lover. She relates the events of her affair in Saigon from a point in the future. She is an author and expresses wonder at never having written before about the events of this novel. She is a rounded character, or a character that changes by the novel’s end. She wants to escape the abusive control of her elder brother and her family’s poverty. By having an affair with a much older Chinese man, the narrator gains a sense of independence and an understanding of her femininity. The narrator is self-reflective, frequently psychoanalyzing herself and her family’s influence.

At the beginning of her affair, she yearns for independence. She is obsessed with images, appearance, and social destiny. Her clothes are a focal point; she believes she is able to control how she “seems” to others, to become what others want. Because the affair defines her life in Saigon, she says that the affair had to happen and especially to her; she as a person could not escape the social destiny of having an affair while underage (36).

The narrator is perceptive about her role among the other women in her social circle. Above anything else, she feared the madwoman that once chased her down the street. She strives to gain independence—including financial independence—to avoid the same fate. The narrator never gives in to the expectation that she must marry the lover. For her, financial security and independence from her family motivate her character growth. By the conclusion of The Lover, the narrator has achieved a respectable and seemingly wealthy life in France.

The Narrator’s Mother & Elder Brother

The narrator’s mother has an undiagnosed mental illness that causes periods of extreme depression. She is headmistress of the French high school in Sadec, dedicated to her daughter’s education, and fiercely protective of the family’s reputation. She hides her eldest son’s abusive behavior as well as the family’s poverty to perpetuate a social persona. The narrator’s mother is a static character that behaves the same way throughout the novel and during the narrator’s childhood until her death, primarily in her insistence on supporting her eldest son.

The narrator’s mother has a contradictory nature. Though she beats her daughter for becoming involved with the lover, she defends her daughter’s behavior to the vice-principal: “She’s a child who’s always been free, otherwise she’d run away” (70). While this shows that the narrator’s mother may perceive the necessity of giving her daughter independence, it also highlights the difference between her public and private lives.

The narrator’s elder brother is also static and represents the family’s attempt to pursue separate public and private lives. He is controlling, verbally abusive, often steals to buy drugs, and does not support himself financially until he is past middle age. He is prideful and refuses to acknowledge the lover when the lover treats his family to expensive dinners. The narrator’s brother never outright accuses the narrator of having an affair or tries to punish her directly; as the narrator notes, she is the only one that her brother is frightened of, which allows her to escape his psychological abuse.

The Lover

As the heir to a large fortune and an important figure in Saigon, the narrator’s lover remains a static character throughout the novel and is best defined by his fierce love for the narrator. The intensity of this love is the same during their first meeting as when he calls her years later in Paris. He is often nervous. The narrator thinks this indicates his unease at their racial differences and the fact that he dares to approach and make love to a white woman. The lover dresses well and is generous with his money where the narrator is concerned, often taking her to expensive dinners in the city. Though his love for the narrator defines his character, he is still beholden to his father, who controls his financial future. His father wants him to marry a Chinese woman from Fushu. Therefore, the lover is unable to pursue having the narrator as his wife.