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
Many people believe that when reading a book written in first person narrative, it is an unreliable source. - Enduring Love by Ian McEwen
Many people believe that when reading a book written in first person narrative, it is an unreliable source. This is because it is a biased account, as the narrator will only tell his or her own side of the story. This is partly true of the novel "Enduring Love" by Ian McEwen. The narrator is Joe. Although he seems to be very controlled and sensible, it is clear from reading the first five chapters of the book, that he is not quite as controlled as first perceived. He has a very scientific brain and thinks about everything rationally but as the chapters progress, he begins to lose the clarity with which he first began. This can give the reader a feeling of uncertainty of the reliability of his narrative. Chapter one begins with such detail that it is impossible to believe that what was being described actually took place in the past. Joe describes everything with pinpoint precision and it is hard to imagine how he managed to remember everything with such accuracy. To reinforce the events he shifts the perspective of the narrator to that of a buzzard. McEwen wants the reader to see things without Joe's biased opinion of the events. This section is more reliable because, although it is Joe's opinion of how the buzzard would see the event, it is detached and therefore would be believable. It is very difficult to believe all that Joe is saying, as the reader
In what ways has Cunningham illuminated 'Mrs. Dalloway' in "The Hours"?
In what ways has Cunningham illuminated 'Mrs. Dalloway'? "We are creatures who repeat ourselves, we are humans, and if we refuse to embrace repetition - if we balk at art that seeks to praise its textures and rhythms, its endlessly subtle variations - we ignore much of what is meant by life itself." This was Michael Cunningham's view on life and indeed, it is a perspective that seeps into 'The Hours' which can be seen as a repetition of 'Mrs. Dalloway.' People are creatures who very often repeat themselves - in their behaviour and in their thoughts and beliefs. Cunningham shows this to us by making his characters mirror Virginia Woolf's characters in 'Mrs. Dalloway'. Repetition is a natural action, which humans carry out sometimes to clarify their thoughts and illuminate the thoughts and ideas of others. This is manifested in 'The Hours' through the Woolfian characters like Clarissa Vaughn and Richard, who repeat the patterns of behaviours such as exploring relationships with the same sex and the patterns of thoughts such as regrets - of those characters in 'Mrs. Dalloway'. In 'The Hours', Cunningham presents to us three separate yet interdependent stories about three women: Virginia Woolf, Laura Brown, and Clarissa Vaughn. Each woman has her own story within her section of the book. Taking into account the presence of the Laura section of the novel, the main function of
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
"McEwan uses a variety of writing genre in the novel 'Enduring Love'. This mix of genre is one of the most significant and interesting features if 'Enduring Love'. By close reference to the text, explore the range and effectiveness of this mix."
Laura Cullingworth 30/10/01 "McEwan uses a variety of writing genre in the novel 'Enduring Love'. This mix of genre is one of the most significant and interesting features if 'Enduring Love'. By close reference to the text, explore the range and effectiveness of this mix." In 'Enduring Love' the most prominent genres are love, thriller and the detective genre. We all have expectations from these very different genres, all of these being fulfilled by McEwan. We are captivated by Joe's love for Clarissa, Jed's love for Joe and the development of these characters as the plot unfolds. We are intrigued by the detective antics of these three main characters and gripped by the action packed plot. The structure of 'Enduring Love' is very much like that of a detective novel; starting off with the main incident of the plot, or the starting incident and then unfolding and developing in stages throughout the story, and resulting in a more or less stable conclusion. The book is logically written in a linear format in order to enable the reader to follow the plot. The setting, particularly where the balloon incident occurs, is typical of a detective novel. The setting is very idyllic, where "each leaf seemed to glow with an eternal light". This indicates tranquillity and peacefulness; therefore making the thought of it being a spot for someone to be killed even more surprising.
A Critical Appreciation on Chapter 12 of Ian McEwan's 'Enduring Love'.
Joe Griffiths A Critical Appreciation on Chapter 12 of Ian McEwan's 'Enduring Love' This chapter is a crucial point in the book and marks a major turning point of the protagonist's life. In this essay I will discuss McEwan's use of structure, plot, themes, language and characterization. In this chapter the structure is relatively simple, yet effective, as it is written in the past tense; it allows for Joe to add his retrospective opinion. Opening with Joe driving down the motorway, describing his negative frame of mind, he tells the reader of what he did earlier that morning that has left him with his "old restlessness" feeling, and then once returns to Joe's present time, as he arrives at Mrs Logan's House. The plot progresses due to the consequences of Joe's actions. Joe has searched Clarissa's letters, persuading himself to believe that somebody is making Clarissa have a biased view of Joe's situation with Jed Parry. We are told of "the fine crack estrangement that had appeared between Clarissa and me". This has left McEwan with an area to develop the plot. The primary theme in this chapter is around relationships: Joe's relationship with Clarissa and Jed's relationship with Joe. Joe is feeling as though he is a "failure in science". He is not sure whether it was "brought on afresh by Logan's fall, or the Parry situation, or by the fine crack of estrangement"
Why And How Does The Introduction Of The Sub-Plot Link With The Novel So Far?
Why And How Does The Introduction Of The Sub-Plot Link With The Novel So Far? The introduction of the Mrs Logan sub-plot helps to emphasise and create parallels with the main story. The sub-plot appears after the argument between Clarissa and Joe. The dispute between has started to place the seeds of self-doubt and guilt in Joe's mind and McEwan carries these feelings into the sub-plot. 'I don't trust myself, was what I thought. Not since my attack on Clarissa's privacy' McEwan uses these feelings to put across the seriousness of the 'crack of estrangement' between Clarissa and Joe. 'Rational' Joe is trying to reason with himself and create some sort of order with his guilty conscious. McEwan links these feelings with John Logan and his family. 'What I was thinking of again as I pressed the doorbell was that stapler, and how dishonestly we can hold things together for ourselves' This shows McEwan bringing together separate events under the same banner of guilt. 'I had come to explain, to establish my guiltlessness, my innocence of his death' McEwan also links Jean Logan and Joe's meeting with the awkwardness seen in Joe and Jed's first meeting. Jean Logan is very harsh and snaps in a way similar to Joe's abrupt treatment of Jed. 'I don't know why you've come' she said. 'I hope it isn't to satisfy your curiosity'. Her behaviour is aloof and cold towards Joe. This behaviour
Explore the ways in which McEwan builds tension and suspense in the first five chapters of Enduring Love.
Hannah Greenslade 5/10/03 Explore the ways in which McEwan builds tension and suspense in the first five chapters of Enduring Love The first five chapters of Enduring Love are crucial to the setting of the story and build tension in the reader, making them want to read the rest of the novel. McEwan uses Joe's trains of thought and narrative to build up suspense and tension. We don't just read the story as it happened but rather learn about the events bit by bit as Joe retells the accident. The whole story is told not just for the reader but for himself as well so it is with hindsight that Joe tells the story, filling in the gaps for himself and giving clues to the reader. There are many examples of these "thriller" style clues, particularly in the first two chapters. " whose car.....with its door, or doors wide open" This comment would clearly not be made unless it had some reference to the story to come, as it seems to be explored in the kind of detail which would only be necessary with retrospective knowledge. This adds an element of excitement and tension which drives you to read on and find out the relevance of the comment. McEwan denies information to the reader when Joe is retelling what happened so there are pieces of the puzzle still missing which need to be filled in later on, building up tension.
At the start of the novel the narrator is presented to the reader as a man who lives in a well ordered world. Examine the way in which your responses to the character are shaped up to and including chapter 15.
At the start of the novel the narrator is presented to the reader as a man who lives in a well ordered world. Examine the way in which your responses to the character are shaped up to and including chapter 15. At the beginning of the novel, the author goes to great lengths to show the narrator as an intellectual, upper-middle-class and logical person. During the first chapter, we are exposed to the fact that Joe clearly enjoys the finer things in life. For example, the food he buys for the picnic and the present he buys for his lover, Clarissa. These items are obviously not things a working class person would buy. The fact that Joe leads this kind of lifestyle makes his downward spiral later in the novel all the more dramatic. We are also given our first glimpse into how Joe's mind works. At the airport, McEwan presents Joe as very analytical. This is a reflection of the work he does. He watches how people react with a cold detachedness. "...I experienced more than fifty theatrical happy endings, each one with the appearance of being slightly less well acted than the one before, until I began to feel emotionally exhausted." This is a brief view into how Joe thinks. He is very pessimistic about human emotions and how they are portrayed. He seems to think that the feelings shown at the airport are acted out. This kind of reasoning is common throughout the beginning of the
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