Short Fiction · Chapter
The Kiss explained
A young couple sits on a promontory at sunset, each lost in private thoughts about kissing the other.
What happens
A young couple sits on a promontory at sunset, each lost in private thoughts about kissing the other. The young man desires to kiss her but fears the consequences, while the girl plans to slap him afterward. As darkness falls, he kisses her, and both are overwhelmed by the experience, leading to a confession of love.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Loss
The chapter explores the initial spark of love and the vulnerability that comes with it, as the couple confesses their feelings after the kiss.
Illusion and Reality
Both characters harbor illusions about the kiss and each other, which are shattered by the reality of the experience.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator describes the scene and the inner thoughts of the young couple.
- Frederick Richard Fant
The young man in the story, a student reading for his examinations, who kisses the girl.
- Magda
The young girl on the promontory, who contemplates slapping him but is swept away by the kiss.
Key passages
“He thought that he should very much like to kiss her. When he looked at her mouth, it occurred to him that this was just what it was meant for.”
He wanted to kiss her, seeing her lips as made for that purpose.
The young man's desire is straightforward and physical.
“She thought that she should very much like to have him kiss her, so that she might have occasion to be downright angry with him and show how deeply she despised him.”
She wanted him to kiss her so she could react with anger and contempt.
The girl plans a dramatic rejection, revealing her pride and insecurity.
“He thought of a passage in a book by a religious physician on The Sex Life of Woman, which read: 'One must guard against letting the marital embrace come under the dominion of sensuality.' And he thought that this must be very difficult to guard against, if even a kiss could do so much.”
He recalled a warning against sensuality in marriage, realizing how powerful even a kiss can be.
The young man's internal conflict between desire and moral caution.