In this story by Margaret Atwood a “big-boned”, athletic Canadian university student becomes anxious but gains self-esteem when a creepy-looking “Oriental” student begins to stalk her. The stalking, which largely takes place in plain sight, becomes a game of cat-and-mouse. Other men who have previously shown little interest in her take notice. Wondering what he sees in her, they begin to ask her out. She is not his only victim. When he is deported to his war-torn country, she becomes obsessed with trying to discover his fate. Themes include otherness (alienation and loneliness), beauty standards and self-image, stereotyping, obsession, fear.
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