What further light does appendix II shed upon the character of Jed? Why do you think that McEwan chose to include the appendices after the plot of the novel itself was completed?

Rebecca Fancourt

(i) What further light does appendix II shed upon the character of Jed?

(ii) Why do you think that McEwan chose to include the appendices

after the plot of the novel itself was completed?

(iii) How far do you think that McEwan suggests our lives are

pre-destined for us?

Appendix II shows us a letter from Jed to Joe three years after his admittance to a secure unit. We see his persistence and his ongoing love towards Joe.

I think that throughout the novel, we have seen Jed as somewhat rather pathetic. He has been described to us as “powerless” and weak. In appendix I, we learn that he has had a difficult and sad life and was “a lonely child”. I think that this helps us understand Jed better as we can see perhaps why he would want to grasp onto a close relationship.

In appendix II, we can see that Jed continues to be persistent, as he has written 1000 letters to Joe. He is unaware of his disease and detaches himself from the “dribbling idiots” that surround him. His character seems happier and stronger as he writes to Joe. As always, he has a strong faith in God and he seems more secure in the ‘relationship’ between himself and Joe. Previously, he seemed more insecure as he always asked lots of questions “will you ever forgive me” and “what have I done to you?” He also used to ‘plead’ with Joe to return his love “please please” “please don’t play this game with me. However now, he writes of his happiness and believes that he and Joe are meant to be together (as he did before) “thank you for loving me, thank you for accepting me”.

I think that appendix II leaves the reader with Jed having the last word. No matter what, Jed’s “enduring love” will carry on, and there’s nothing that anyone can do to stop it. It also reassures the reader that Jed needs to be locked up. He isn’t a threat whilst he is away from the outside world and we perhaps have more sympathy with him, than we did previously when he was an immediate threat.

I think that McEwan adds the appendices on to the novel to add to the reality of it. When I first read the novel and ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

I think that McEwan adds the appendices on to the novel to add to the reality of it. When I first read the novel and reached the end, I questioned whether it was based on a true story. However, when I took a closer look, it was clear that the names used were fictional throughout. We can see that they are fiction as one of the names “Wenn R and Camia, A is an anagram of Ian McEwan’s name. This indicates that the names used were made up and he wanted us to know it.

The function of appendices is usually to inform the reader of factual information such as lists or tables. In this case, in appendix I, it was the background of deClarembault’s syndrome, the case history of Jed and references of all the people mentioned in the novel. Whilst the information on deClarembault’s syndrome was factual, the rest was purely fiction. However, we believe that it is all factual and are ‘taken in’ by it.

I think that McEwan wanted to include these so that the main part of the novel was left on an uncertain note. We didn’t know if Joe and Clarissa would be reconciled or what had happened to Jed. Later when we read the appendices we have a better understanding of Jed’s illness and learn that Joe and Clarissa have successfully adopted a child and are back together.

Appendix II shows us a letter from Jed to Joe. This couldn’t be included in the novel because Joe; the narrator, wasn’t aware of them. I think that the letter needed to be included so we are aware that Jed’s love for Joe still exists. The whole novel is left on Jed’s final word “ faith is joy”. We are uncertain as to what the future holds but are still content, as we know what has happened with all the characters, this wouldn’t be accomplished if the appendices weren’t included.

I think that McEwan also included the appendices to conclude his ideas on pre-destination. Appendix I tells us that Joe and Clarissa were later reconciled, were they destined to be together? In appendix II we see Jed stating that he and Joe will be together, that they are also destined to be with one another.

I think that McEwan suggests that our lives are pre-destined for us quite predominantly throughout the novel.

I think that McEwan puts forward the idea of pre-destination to a certain extent. I think that he puts the argument across in the different characters. Joe puts his beliefs forward from a scientific perspective, Jed from a religious view and Clarissa’s literary beliefs. I think that although Joe is an atheist scientist, he does believe in pre destination to a point, he states that there were choices in whether to let go, or to hang onto the balloon but I think we are left to make up our mind on whether these choices were their own, or in fact destined to be chosen.

Jed believes that he and Joe are destined to be together and that nothing can stop it “I know you’ll be here one day soon” The religious overtones from Jed’s illness also argue the case of pre-destination, that God has ‘chosen’ the way our life will go.

Clarissa’s viewpoint is that we can stop anything if we want, that everything is our choice. Her idea to stop Joe’s problem was to invite Jed in for a cup of tea.

From chapter one, Joe is stating that he was running away from his happiness, and it seemed that he had no choice in the matter “sprinting away from our happiness”. When McEwan writes, “ it was a time when other outcomes were still possible” it suggests that there was no other possible outcome after the ballooning accident, implying that there was going to be nothing Joe or anyone else could do to stop his ‘destiny’.

In Appendix I, it states that nothing could stop Jed once he had set his eyes on Joe “the object of the amorous delusion remains unchanged”

We could also say that Joe and Clarissa were destined to be with each other. That no matter what happened with Jed, that their love would ‘endure’ We saw in appendix I that other couples weren’t so lucky, that it all ended in tragedy. I think that here, Ian McEwan is also putting his ideas forward on pre-destination

Overall I think that McEwan does believe in pre-destination to a certain extent as both Joe and Jed believe in it, from two different perspectives. I think that Clarissa is portraying the part of him that is more rational and perhaps doesn’t believe in pre-destination as much.