Love and Loss

Meyer uses the theme of love and loss to pose the question of whether it is truly better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all, as Alfred Lord Tennyson suggests in his often-quoted poem “In Memoriam A.H.H.” Based on the outcome for Catherine and for Hatta, the author seems to conclude that it is not always better.

The body of Meyer’s book builds the theme by telling the story of the romance between Catherine and Jest. Though the book falls into the Young Adult genre, it could also be described as a tragic romance. Catherine and Jest are the typical young lovers from opposite sides of the tracks, with Catherine being a member of the gentry in Hearts while Jest is only a lowly servant. They keep their romance a secret knowing that Catherine’s parents...