Themes and message

Fiction versus reality

One of the main themes of the short story “The Arcade” by Alan Gillespie is that of fiction versus reality. This is mainly shown when looking at the fake life story Bill and Gaynor create for themselves and present to the sales assistants compared to their real life.

Firstly, Bill and Gaynor’s imagined life is perfect and romantic and delights the sales assistants. In reality, Bill and Gaynor’s personal lives include disappointments and failures. For example, Bill shares the story of how his wife died after being sick for a long time and eventually going into a care home. He also expresses the disappointment that his wife did not get to die in her own home. Moreover, Bill also shares that he has not dated anyone except Gaynor since his wife died which might suggest the heartbreak he felt following his wife’s death. 

Similarly, Gaynor shares details about her short, failed marriage which ended after she and her partner kept fighting and ultimately decided they were not good together. She also reveals that she considered marrying again...