Why do you think that McEwan chooses to include the appendices after the plot of the novel was completed? - How far do you think that McEwan suggests that our lives are predestined for us? In the novel 'Enduring Love' - McEwan
Laura Cullingworth 12/11/01 i. What further light does the appendix II shed on the character of Jed? ii. Why do you think that McEwan chooses to include the appendices after the plot of the novel was completed? iii. How far do you think that McEwan suggests that our lives are predestined for us? In the novel 'Enduring Love', by using the appendices McEwan shows us the intelligence of his writing. The majority of readers are fooled into thinking that the case study in the fake book, 'The British Journal of Psychiatry', "P" is a real person. This leads the reader into thinking that the whole book is based around this case study. However, the appendices are actually a result of McEwan's clever writing. It was him who wrote it, and not a study done by Doctors Wenn and Camio (actually anagrams of Ian McEwan!) In the appendix II, a letter from Jed to Joe, the severity of Jed's condition shines through. After nearly four years of being locked up in a psychiatric institution Jed Parry still appears to be as ridden with de Clérabaults syndrome as he ever has been. The letter is a conclusion, summing up and confirming all the aspects of Jed. His religious views are one of the most prominent features of the letter: - "...the resplendence of God's glory and love." This is important as it backs up our first impression of Jed at John Logan's side, where he comes across
Consider the presentation of Clarissa in the novel 'Enduring Love' by Ian McEwan
Practice exam question Louise Renwick * Consider the presentation of Clarissa in the novel. In the novel 'Enduring Love' Clarissa is presented as a separate and almost removed character. This is emphasised from our very first introduction to her when subconsciously we compare her to the other witnesses of the balloon accident. She becomes a contrast to them, not only by the way in which she chooses to remain an observer of the accident but also the way her name differs from the other characters. They have very similar sounding names, Joe, Jed, Jean, John and later, Johnny. McEwan describes her as being 'unencumbered by participation' thus she is presented as an objective observer of the accident as apposed to the remaining five characters who appear 'bound' to the accident. Her character is also presented as a form of constant throughout the novel whereupon she does not change; this is shown by the presentation of her actions and reactions to situations which seem to follow an unchanged pattern. McEwan suggests to the reader that she could also be representational of clarity, which could even be linked to her name 'Clarissa' An example of this is when Joe is described a confused 'I couldn't fit the speed of my thoughts' this is juxopposed to Clarissa showing a clear mind whereupon her reaction to the situation
Compare and contrast the presentation of Joe and Jed up to the end of chapter 12 in 'Enduring Love'.
ESSAY: Compare and contrast the presentation of Joe and Jed up to the end of chapter 12. Joe Rose and Jed Parry are two of three main characters in 'Enduring Love'. McEwan presents the two characters in many similar ways, as well as differently. From the beginning of the novel, the reader learns a lot about the personalities and traits of the characters, through Joe Rose's speech and thoughts (as he is the first person narrative) and through Jed's speech and actions. McEwan's presentation of the two men changes throughout the chapters in the novel. From the very beginning, we learn that Joe Rose is a 'complicated simpleton', a very rational man, who has a love for science, evident through his scientific jargon and language and the accuracy of his descriptions and accounts of events. "... Barely a neuronal pulse later came other thoughts in which fear and instant calculations of logarithmic complexity were fused." (Chapter 1) Jed on the other hand is a very passionate man... passionate about religion, and also about Joe's acceptance of religion. McEwan vaguely presents Jed in the beginning of the novel, in chapter 1 as more of his character is revealed in chapter 2. Jed is physically, merely described as: "He was twenty-eight, unemployed, living on an inheritance in Hampstead". (Chapter 1) In chapter 3, we learn through Joe, that he is feeling trapped, and
McEwan, 'Enduring Love' - What does the novel have to say about love?
What does the novel have to say about love? The website Dictionary.com offers two main definitions for the word "love." The first describes it as, "A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness." The second, "A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance." The title, "Enduring Love," also has a double meaning. On the one hand is the more traditional, conventional understanding: that Joe and Clarissa's love endures the trials that befall it during the course of the book. The second meaning is the darker, more sinister meaning, the full severity of which unfolds throughout the book: that of Jed Parry's "enduring love" for Joe. McEwan makes a pun of the word "love" - on the one hand is the first definition, the "ineffable feeling of affection" between Joe and Clarissa. On the other is a "feeling of intense desire and attraction" which Jed feels for Joe. McEwan seems to be suggesting that love is not merely something to be celebrated in poetry and flowers, but also something to be feared. One cannot, after all, choose who they fall in love with, or who falls in love with them. Joe and Clarissa have been together for seven years, in a "childless marriage of
Ian McEwan stated that in writing "Enduring Love" he wanted to create a novel of ideas. What are the most important concepts that he explores in chapters one to five of "Enduring Love"?
Ian McEwan stated that in writing "Enduring Love" he wanted to create a novel of ideas. What are the most important concepts that he explores in chapters one to five of "Enduring Love"? Enduring love is a novel, which explores many aspects of the human life and mind, some being: love, different perspectives, science and the human urge for story telling. These concepts are noticeably different and range for one extreme where feelings and emotions from the heart will take control to the other extreme where only facts and knowledge from the brain are used. This makes it an appealing novel to most audiences whether they are emotive or scientific. However which one is the most important? Firstly when exploring the theme of story telling it is noticeable that it is introduced to the reader right from the start. The ballooning accident is re-told to the reader by Joe Rose in a form of a flashback. The opening line, "The beginning is simple to mark," prepares the reader for the story about to be retold. It also makes them completely aware of a narrator who holds complete control over the plot. However this is simply the introduction to this theme as McEwan gently introduces it to the reader. Further on in the chapter three the deeper meaning of the story telling theme is portrayed. Joe and Clarissa arrive home after the traumatic experience of the accident and they retell each
How does McEwan Present Ideas about Memory and Recall in "Enduring Love"
How does McEwan Present Ideas about Memory and Recall in "Enduring Love" In 'Enduring Love" McEwan has created a storyline that refers to the 1st person narrator's own perception of his own mind and memory. Because of this we do not know whether to trust Joe or not as he is extremely biased in his own opinion. At the very beginning of the novel we, as the reader, feel extremely safe being "in Joe's hands" because we see the very scientific, rational mind; however as we go on through the story we see the loss of rationality and we are given hints not to trust Joe as much as we did; "His writing's rather like yours" and "Mr Tapp went to the toilet, not his daughter". Within the opening chapter we see as a very clear memory from Joe of the balloon accident. Within this chapter we see the very rational side of Joe where we see the view of the balloon accident from a "buzzards" point of view so that it looks like the people who are within the balloon accident are on a snooker table coming from all direction. Joe is able to stop time here and point out where absolutely everyone is in relation to himself and the actual balloon. The use of narrative and chronological time not being the same in the first chapter also gives the reader different views of Joe's own memory and what kind of state he is in within the first chapter; the change from people running towards the balloon to
How effective do you find the opening to enduring love? What do you find interesting about McEwan's style?
How effective do you find the opening to enduring love? What do you find interesting about McEwan's style? The opening to Enduring Love is designed to draw us into the book and keep us reading on for more information. McEwan claimed that he wrote the opening chapter in a way that would give effects similar to a "highly addictive drug", always trying to keep the reader involved and addicted to the events unfolding. The key word here is "addictive". To make the opening addictive McEwan needs to utilize techniques that make the reader "addicted" to the novel, after reading the opening chapter I think to an extent he has achieved this. However I would hardly say the opening is anywhere near as addictive as a "highly addictive drug", nevertheless without using chemicals this is about as addictive as books come. Tension is commonly used in books to make them more exciting. Tension is used to good affect throughout the opening chapter to get the reader "addicted", this is a very important element for the opening to contain. Tension is built up in various styles in the opening. From the very first line, "The beginning is simple to mark" tension is present. This line implies that the beginning is simple to explain and understand, while it also implies by saying this that the middle and end will be slightly harder to ingest. This is effective because it builds up tension for the
Compare Virginia Woolf"s novels Mrs. Dalloway and The Waves as the representatives of her early and late work.
In this paper, we would like to compare Virginia Woolf"s novels Mrs. Dalloway and The Waves as the representatives of her early and late work. We tried to point out the similarities as well as the differences not only in theme, main characters and language. Firstly, we would like to center on the novels separately and then we will point out important facts connected with these two novels of Virginia Woolf. Her work on Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf finished in 1924. It is her fourth novel, considered by many to be her great one. The novel centers on the separate worlds and interior thought processes of two characters: Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith, young ex-soldier. These two main characters do not know each other and never meet, but their minds have parallels. Septimus Smith suffers mental illness triggered by a friend's death in battle during World War I. He is considered to be mentally ill by society. Clarissa is considered to be mentally sane. However, we are able to find so many similarities between these two characters that it is necessary to think about them as about the two sides of one coin, the two sides of human's personality. The story takes place on the June day in London after the war. It explores the idea of time by including past memories and future hopes of the characters. The novel ends with a party given by Clarissa, where Septimus's doctor
Explore chapter 1 of Enduring Love and consider what it reveals about Joe as a character and a narrator
Explore chapter 1 of Enduring Love and consider what it reveals about Joe as a character and a narrator From the very beginning of the novel of Enduring Love, the readers are guided by Joe, the narrator who is also the main character in the book. His character is revealed by the reader through the way he acts and speaks. Now we are going to explore chapter one in detail to see what features there are in Joe's character. Joe is a scientist who lives in London with his fiancée Clarissa. As they were having a picnic in Oxford, a cry came to their ears and there was a Hydrogen balloon going up and down the ground, a child was inside the balloon basket, Joe and other four men were trying to rescue this child but as the wind got stronger, it blew the balloon higher and further, suddenly one man amongst them gave the rope away, the balloon rose higher and John Logan, another man amongst them was still clinging to the rope. John Logan flew with the balloon and all the other men were shocked by this terrible sight. First of all, Joe's character is revealed by the way he tells us the story. It is obvious that Joe is a scientist as he uses some very professional and scientific words to describe things he sees. The way he thinks is very logical and analytical. For example, when Joe talks about the balloon that they were running toward as "filled with helium, the elemental gas formed
How important are the appendices of 'Enduring Love'?
Beth Parry How important are the appendices of 'Enduring Love'? Chapter twenty-four offers the readers quite a conventional fairy-tale ending, providing a rather satisfactory conclusion. It ends on an up-lifting note, with the children symbolising hope in the future for Joe and Clarissa. It flows in a leisurely pace and the tone is upbeat in contrast to the tense darkness of previous chapters. It takes us back to the beginning of the first chapter with a similar picnic taking place, suggesting that the same level of happiness can be achieved. It would seem strange that such an unconventional novel could have such a perfect ending, especially with the uncertainty of beginnings and endings being a key theme in the novel. It seems that McEwan is aware that this light-hearted ending does not suit this dark, sinister novel, and presents it's readers with a seemingly concluded narrative, allowing them to feel comforted and safe in the knowledge they have finished the novel, before playing with their expectations once again. Appendix one and two provide alternative endings of the novel, altogether creating endings in three different narrative viewpoints, something that McEwan plays around with throughout the whole novel. Appendix one is written in the scientific register, and although the reader's are familiar with Joe's scientific language, this is a tone of voice that they