Themes and message

Violence

The main theme explored by Lesley Glaister in the short story “Serrusalmus” is the theme of violence. Marjorie is initially the victim of Mick’s psychological violence. Although Mick “never actually harmed her, not physically” (p. 83, l. 24), he abuses her by terrorizing her. He is also verbally violent towards her. Because of her anxiety disorder, Marjorie cannot escape him and cannot deny him access inside her house. Mick’s violence reaches an extreme point when he throws one of Marjorie’s sick fish out the window, as a punishment for her refusing to lend him money. The sum he asks for is quite large, so it is quite possible that Mick was only using it as an excuse to torment Marjorie.

This moment of extreme violence marks the shift in Marjorie’s behavior. From victim, she turns into a perpetrator, noticing Mick’s “weakness and fea...