Theme and message

The main theme of the short story “Pretending to Know the Words” by Helen Cooper is identity. This theme is enhanced through motifs like depression, success, and guilt. The main character is a man who has dreamed of becoming a successful football player all his life. Yet, when he archives this, he becomes depressed and feels guilty for his success, as he feels that he isn’t worthy of it. The author’s message with this story is that depression and mental health problems can affect anyone; just because someone appears to be successful does not necessarily mean that they are happy.

Identity

The theme of identity is explored through the main character and structure of the plot. Luis, the protagonist, is struggling with depression even though he has achieved success as a football player in the UK. His professional success makes him unable to recognise himself and makes his depression worse, as he feels guilty for not enjoying his success. This is suggested by the fact that he looks at himself...