The Price of Salt

The title of the novel suggests the central theme, with “salt” serving as an obsolete term for “lust,” and “lust” representing a more sensational word for “love.” In the 1950s, lesbian pulp novels portrayed highly sexualized lesbian relationships. Highsmith’s publishers likewise marketed The Price of Salt as a titillating lesbian novel, so the allusion to lust in the title gave their audience a reason to buy the novel. Advertising aside, sexual desire is a central element in the story, as Carol and Therese’s love is inseparable from their keen longing for one another. Thus, the primary consequence of love is irresistible attraction. Their bond is the product of love at first sight, with the narrator stating, “Their eyes met at the same instant […] Therese could not look away” (28). Therese is immediately consumed by her feelings for Carol, compelling her to send her a card. Carol advances their initial attraction by calling Therese at work and making plans to see her. As a result of their mutual attraction and desire, their relationship snowballs, each becoming more absorbed in the other. Therese in particular cannot focus on much of anything else, and her desire for Carol reshapes her relationships, especially with Richard.