The Comfort of Strangers

            Ian McEwan’s The Comfort of Strangers makes a variety of statements about not only travel, but the nature of relationships between men and women, as well as presenting a theory on the presence of sado-masochistic desires in almost every person. Colin and Mary, a couple with a series of relationship problems, sleep in separate beds and have grown cold towards each other. While their meeting with Robert and Caroline at first rekindles romance and ends their enigmatic lack of intimacy, these characters soon prove deadly for the travelling couple.

            Robert, a strange and aggressive though somewhat charming local, lures the couple into what slowly becomes an odd and unsettling relationship. His tales of his stern, violent father and the refuge he sought from his kind and caring mother provide a backdrop for his sadistic tendencies. His wife Caroline, though seemingly fragile and submissive, appears to be somewhat more aware and in control than the other characters, including even her husband. This is clearly evidence of Caroline’s masochism and the pleasure she derives from her situation.

            When related to the topic of travel, The Comfort of Strangers appears to be an indictment of tourism. This is communicated through the fact that McEwan does not once mention the name of the city (Venice) in which the story takes place, asserting that the events of the novel could have befallen foreigners in any city. The obscure death of Colin, when looked at objectively, is the result of his and Mary’s desire to travel and to change things in their stagnant relationship. This same desire is part of what attracts them to Robert and Caroline. While Robert and Caroline are clearly the story’s aggressors, the passivity of Colin and Mary, as well as their flawed relationship, play a significant part in their tragic fate.