Tracing Dimensions of Changing Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Tracing Dimensions of Changing Culture - Essay Example The book is a collection of seven short stories beginning with â€Å"Girl with Lizard†, which tells about a boy and his obsession and desire for a mysterious painting he inherited from his parents, which drove him to unconsciously ruin his relationships with women while discovering his parent’s dark past. â€Å"A Little Fling†, a story about a husband’s political betrayal of his wife for her sake, a wife’s betrayal of her husband to spite him, the narrator’s betrayal of his friend as a result of his own naivety, and the revelation, which destroyed the intimate relationship they all shared. â€Å"The Other Man†, a story, which recounts a man’s discovery of his late wife’s affair and his realization about the truth of his marriage. The middle story, â€Å"Sugar Peas†, tells about a narcissistic man balancing his relationships with three women. â€Å"The Circumcision†, which tells of the relationship between a German man and a Jewish girl in New York, is a foray into the sensitive topic of the division caused by their culture and religion. â€Å"The Son†, on the other hand, tells of filial love, described in a dramatic fashion. The book then ends with â€Å"Woman at the Gas Station†; which narrates of a man and his decision to leave his wife. All these stories are bound by the themes of betrayal brought about by obsession, desperation, and historical circumstance – all because of and in spite of love. The themes, embodied in Flights of Love are best exemplified in his opening story â€Å"Girl with Lizard†.