Certain key issues are mentioned in the first chapter of enduring love for example the main introduction of themes, characterisation, development of the plot, language used and setting. There are a few themes in ‘Enduring Love’ which we are introduced to within the first chapter. There are the themes of science, love and the wind. The wind plays a crucial part in the story and is significant from the very first chapter of the book. It causes the accident as we can see on page 12 when the narrator mentions that the wind speeds that day were used as part of the evidence at the inquest. However, it also brings with it a sense of calm also shown on page 12 when the narrator says “before I let it reach us ... there’s a security in stillness.” It is described as a “whining, whooshing sound [which] grew to full volume in half a second.” The themes are important in engaging the reader because it gives us an insight into both the atmosphere the events took place in and the type of person that the narrator is.
Love is another significant theme in ‘Enduring Love’. When the story begins Clarissa and Joe are having a picnic to celebrate their anniversary; a symbol of their love. During the chapter we learn the relationship between Clarissa and Joe will change, therefore their love will change too. We want to read on to see how their love will change and why love is so significant in this book, significant enough to be mentioned in the title of the book.
Another theme made extremely clear in the first chapter is science. Joe is a very scientific person who throughout the first chapter shows little emotion but states scientific facts continually. When he is at the airport he doesn’t understand the joyous greetings yet he is able to describe a simple hot air balloon and make it seem almost like a monster. This is not only an important theme but an indication as to the type of person the narrator is.
We learn plenty about a few characters in the first chapter of ‘Enduring Love’. First of all during the first chapter we are introduced to the less important characters in this chapter which will come to have a huge part in the story. These characters are Jed Parry and John Logan. A couple of other less important characters are mentioned too to create the scene. Mentioning Jed Parry and John Logan is very important because it gives the reader some clue as to the fact these characters will become significant in the story later on. When introduced to all these characters we are given some slight background about each of them. For example, we learn that Logan has a wife and children and so when he dies we know he had the most to lose making the death more disturbing.
We also learn about Clarissa and Joe in this chapter and their relationship. Joe often talks about science and relates everyday events to it. Therefore he is scientifically minded. Clarissa on the other hand is much more interested in John Keats which is poetry giving us an insight into the type of person she is. Joe admits that one of his weaknesses is poetry as he says on page 7 “I had tried to match hers.” Here we learn Joe and Clarissa are very different. Joe is the narrator and so we gain access to his innermost thoughts which is why everything is described so scientifically. This is important to note and it can be inferred that sometimes Joe only sees things in black and white. This is confirmed when he has a lack of emotion in the airport with all the warm greetings. On page 7 we also gain an insight into the relationship between Clarissa and Joe. The narrator is hinting that the relationship can change. It does not seem so stable and makes the reader interested to find out more about Clarissa and Joe as both people and together.
The plot develops rather quickly in the first chapter especially as the chapter draws to an end. We start off with how the story begins and by the end of the first chapter we have reached the accident and all the details leading up to it. All the details of the accident interest the reader and the reader’s attention is still engaged as Joe experiences a wide range of emotions and it is interesting to see the reactions of each character to this pivotal event in the story.
As I have mentioned scientific language is used by Joe throughout the first chapter indicating the type of person Joe is. The language used to describe the wind makes the wind more terrifying than ever which is important. The wind was out to kill and it achieves its purpose. The reader is engaged through the language Joe uses because it demonstrates his vast knowledge.
The setting is one of the most important parts in the chapter to keep the reader engaged. We go from an idyllic place where it is spring and has a strong resemblance to the Garden of Eden to a roaring, ferocious wind that threatens to pick up and sweep away anyone in its path. The setting sets the tone of the book and as the setting changes so does the whole atmosphere in the book. The reader is interested in how such a beautiful day could turn into such a horrible day so quickly.
In conclusion, McEwan successfully engages the reader in the first chapter of ‘Enduring Love’ with an insight into the setting, the main characters and most of all the plot of the story. McEwan launches into the story straight away keeping the readers hooked from the very beginning and he never once gives their minds an opportunity to wonder.
