Topic > Love Themes in "Under The Net" by Iris Murdoch

Start the conversation by asking Hugo "Did she (Anna) love you?" The scene ends with an unexpected twist when it is revealed that Hugo has always been in love with Sadie. “Hugo's inability to love Sadie loomed over me in an unspeakable way,” Jake thinks after hearing Hugo's story. As for why Hugo would prefer Sadie, he says, "Sadie is smarter!" which surprises Jake. “Anna loves you,” Jake tells Hugo, to which Hugo responds, “She's as crazy about me as I am about Sadie.” Eventually the confusion is put to an end with Hugo's line: “I love Sadie, who is in love with you, and you love Anna, who loves me. Wicked, isn't it?" In this scene, love essentially gives truth and a sense of enlightenment to Jake. It also shows how love can often be deceptive on the outside, as it was for Jake with Anna, Hugo and