s love for another, over Ameliaslove for him. Miss Amelia, as with Marvin before her, was left with nothing. Anothervictim, fallen pray to love, unrequited.One might wonder why Lymon had chosen to rebuff Amelias love for him. Quitesimply, it is because Lymon, himself, fell for someone. Now maybe not love, in theconventional sense, yet an extremely deep admiration. Marvin Macy was everything thatCousin Lymon was not, and yet had always wished to be. Lymon was willing to doanything to win Marvins favor, even ruin the life of someone who cared for him. He didjust that, too, helping to destroy Ameilas every worldly possession, and her means ofsupporting herself. All he did, in the name of, what he thought was, love However,Marvin felt no more for Lymon, then Amelia had for Marvin, or Lymon had for Amelia. Lymon was basically used by Marvin in an attempt to get back at Amelia. Although thestory ends before it could happen, its very likely that Lymon came to be hurt severely byMarvin, once his usefulness had run out.This story is all just one big vicious cycle of love and hatred. Its almostinescapable, that a person will inevitably love someone, and not have that feeling returnedwith the same force, or to the same extent. This is what happens repeatedly throughoutThe Ballad Of The Sad Cafe, and in life, itself. There is a recurring theme of being hurt bythe ones you love, of being denied that which you most desire, and it is that, that isresponsible for driving the story....
