Hunters and Lovers
By Nia Magoulianiti - McGregor
About the Author
Nia Magoulianiti-McGregor, a Rhodes
University graduate, went back to
journalism after getting divorced at
40. She has worked as a radio news
presenter, a scriptwriter, and subeditor, and was, for a number of
years, the Johannesburg bureau chief
for Femina magazine. Born and bred
in Sea Point, she moved to
Johannesburg, South Africa during
the eighties, and is now a freelance
writer and lives and works in
Killarney, Ireland.
Setting
The story started in bed then had a flashback which
took place in a social gathering or a party. Then it
moves from one location to another, which unknown.
Knowing the Characters
The Man (No Name)
•
Very flamboyant.
•
A businessman that
always goes out of town
for business trips.
•
Married man.
•
Promiscuous.
Knowing the Characters
The Woman/Mistress (No Name)
•
Likes dating.
•
Very adventurous.
•
Also aggressive.
•
Disorganized.
•
Single.
Knowing the Characters
The Wife/Imaginary being of
the Mistress
•
No distinct qualities or
attributes, it only depends
on how she wants to be
depicted
by
the
woman/mistress.
•
The
mistress
always
imagined her as a very
subtle, naive, blonde and
very mother-like figure.
The Plot
Introduction
The story started in bed. In the woman’s apartment. The
most significant line was:
Woman: Do you love your wife?
Man: Yes.
Woman: Why are you fucking me then?
Man: I don’t know, I can’t answer that. I think it’s about seizing
the moment.
The Plot
Introduction
Then the story was transitioned in a flashback, they are
in a party flirting each other and the woman strategically
seduced the man towards the parking lot and made him
follow her to her apartment. They had some sort of a chase
like a “hungry wild lion aiming for the galloping deer”.
The Plot
Rising Action
After the one night affair, the woman was thinking
whether the man will come back again or not. She’s alone
in her apartment and talking to herself:
“When can I find my match where I don’t have to say goodbye
and wait. No abandonment, yet no engulfment”
“Should we see each other again? I don’t know. He’s married.
He’s damn well married”
The Plot
Climax
When the woman cried, pleaded, demanded for the man to
stay with her and divorce his wife.
Woman: “Do you love me?”
Man: “Yes, I love you”
Woman: “Leave her for me”
Man: “No, I cant do that to her”
Woman: “Leave her for me, Please come live with me.”
The Plot
Falling Action
When the man divorced his wife and stayed with the woman.
As the man moved into her apartment, he slowly reveals his true
character/intentions.
The man is now always busy and frequently doesn't have time for
her anymore unlike before. He now always criticize her from her
clothing to the dirty plates in the kitchen.
Man: “Sorry, I didn't think about you”
Woman: “Didn’t you?”
Man: “No, actually I thought about you a lot”
The Plot
Resolution
The woman had a day dream, she imagined the husband’s
wife following her on her way to the car. The wife took the keys
from her hand and slowly, very slowly, she puts a finger in her
mouth.
Woman:
“ It tasted like a cigarette, whisky and woman. Woman who’s been
living in my head, in my bed, in my space, for months now”
“ I seem to remember him saying something about seizing the moment
– Oh yes, I believe he did”
Conflict
Man versus Circumstances and Society – The
woman/mistress struggles against ideas, practices or
customs of other people.
Theme
The story is about a married man who was tempted and
lived in the world of his mistress. It also depicts the life
and other world of the mistress when she’s alone. It
unravels the mysterious realizations towards the end of
the story. The story doesn't have a definite ending.
Thank You!