Themes and message

Deception

The main theme of the story “Say You” by Sara Collins is deception. This theme is explored through the plot and characters.

The story begins by describing how the arrival of Cuban immigrants on the island incites the local women’s interests who try to attract them. The narrator’s reflections at the beginning of the story hint that the local women are fooled by the immigrants every time, although they should know better: “Ha! Those women all tittered and giggled, every last one of them, their bellies full of laughter, but still they fell for it, every time: the promise of something different, something new.” (ll. 20-22). In other words, the women in some ways allow themselves to be deceived. The Cuban men arriving on the island are not interested in settling there but in reaching the US. As a result, they are only looking to have fun with the...