Analytic essay of the story "The Rental Heart"

Analytic essay of the story "The Rental Heart"

The rental heart is a short story written by Kirsty Logan. The story is about the main character who is heartbroken all lot of the time. We don't know whether the main character is a female or a male, and the people the main character dates are also both males and females. Through the story we hear about six different partners to the main character.
The story is written in first person narrator, we hear the story from the main characters point of view.
In the story we follow the main characters use of rental hearts. The rental hearts are mechanic and you can replace them with your own heart. Every time the rental heart has been broking, you can rent a new one. This is what the story is about, and we follow the main character who is using rental hearts.
We hear about a lady called Grace in the beginning of the story. The day after they've met, his heart is broken, and that is the first time in many years he goes to the store and rent a heart. The rental store has changed a lot, since the first time he was there, some of the new hearts has timers and standby buttons and customized beating patterns.
The first time he visited the rental store, was ten years ago after Grace. His first love was Jacob, and it is clearly that he was truly in love with him. “Jacob was as solid and golden as tilled field, and our love was going to last forever, which in our age meant six months. Every time Jacob touched me, I felt my heart thud wetly against my lungs”.
The main character lives a confusing life, with men and with women, and it's difficult for him to find accept. The story is basically about restarting someone's capacity to love, and how real love can be replaced with technology. Often when people fall in love, they end up being heartbroken, but in this story, it is easier just to buy a new one.
It is difficult to know how many years the story extends over, but it could indicate that he is a teenager when he meets Grace, because she is the first love, and develop to an adult through the story.
The story is not written chronologic, but there are flash backs, as we can see from the earlier example.
In the story there is no indication of where the story takes place. But the main character moves away for a year, to an island where he don't know anything or anybody, he just lives alone with his empty chest. And he feels like he can breathe again, and he don't need to relate to any ex-boy and girlfriends.

The genre of the story is science fiction. Some of the science fiction elements are, a central part, the rental hearts, which don't have to be a part of the body. It is possible to take it out if it is broken, at put a new in, that can help you love again, and love the person you are with. The rental hearts are just clipping in, and then they can tick away for years, maybe decades. The story must take place in the future, because of the rental hearts, it is not possible in our life.
Even though the main character keeps getting a new heart, it does not make him happy, the pain is not only in the heart, but also in the mind. He is not processing his pain, and that is why he keeps felling restless and fell like he can't brief. The pain is not going away, so he is stocked in the same routine.
In the end of the story, the main character is reunited with Grace. They have been together for three years at that time. They are lying together, but the main character goes to the bathroom. He is open up his chest, and his mechanic heart is dusty, tarnished and very empty. He realize that the heart isn't helping him loving Grace, but he can love her without the mechanic heart. That is why he is pulling it out. It is clear to him, that Grace is his only love, and he will never get heartbroken again.