Themes and message

The main themes explored in “The Strong Man” by George Garrett are that of betrayal and confinement in love and marriage. The author’s intention was to show how women are affected by being cheated on and their inner conflicts when it comes to ending their marriages or not. These themes and message are also explored with the help of the motifs of strength and weakness.

Betrayal

The theme of betrayal is explored at a romantic level in the short story. The two characters are married and the woman expects a child, yet her husband is a notorious womanizer, cheating on her constantly and moving from one place to another after his wife discovers his affairs.

Romantic betrayal is a very delicate topic because it involves strong feelings and emotions.

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Confinement

The theme of confinement is the most important one in the short story. While the conflict of the characters starts from the fact that the husband cheats on his wife constantly, the deeper issues explored in the text are the feelings of being confined and trapped.

The female character comes across as a woman with very few choices. 

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Motif: Strength versus Weakness

The motif of strength versus weakness is explored through the character of the strong man and the wife. While the strong man demonstrates his physical strength in all kinds of challenges and does not give up until he succeeds...

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