What do you find interesting about the way the writer presents the character of Parry (Enduring Love)?

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Through out the modern novel of “Enduring Love” Mcewan presents the character of Jed Parry as being very complex. We are introduced to him in the first chapater by the main charcter Joe, who at first seems to ignore the information of Jed in his narrative of the accident. But in the second chapter Joe is drawn to Jed and considers him more indepth then the other men as most things he does either describe or leads back to Jed in some way. This also indicates some sort of continuation after the accident by using strange phrases such as“Running towards each other like lovers”. On page 21 Mcewan uses a powerful metaphor “the long winter of his obbsession” which reveals to the reader the potencial significance of Parry in the forthcoming narrative. It is also at the end of this chapter that we see the conflicting terms of background and beliefs between Joe, who belives in Science and Jed, who believes in God. We are shown Joes scientific thinking by his descriptions and detail of the death on pg 23 “ The closing down of countless interrelated nural and bio-chemical exchanges combined…”. This contrastes with the very strong religious beliefs of Jed Parry, who translates Joe’s unbeliefing undertone as being an indication for help. This interaction and then sudden removal beween Jed and Joe adds to the readers interest in Parry, as the situation is unresolved.

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        Parry is then re-introduced by Mcewan very dramatically at the end of the next chapter, creating even more interest in the spiralling relationship between the now two main characters. Parry becomes limited as a character because we only see him through the perspective of Joe or through his letters. These second hand sources shows the reader the very significant change in Jed from being initally harmless to being potentially dangerous through his strong obsession. Mcewan uses Jed’s first letter to Joe in chapter 11 as a device to show the relationship from Jed’s point of view. But also more importantly ...

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