Golden Gate is writer Vikram Seth’s first novel, and it is written as poetry. One theme exhibited in a major relationship in the novel is that of gay and bisexual orientation. Another theme exhibited in Seth’s novel Golden Gate is that of the effect a demanding lover can have on a relationship. Clearly the characters are left with difficult choices, but Seth creates a situation with which almost one can identify--the woman who chooses the “nice guy” and the comfortable, stable relationship in place of an intense passionate love that could only lead to pain. The security of the known is safer than the danger of the unknown.