The Sense of an Ending: Julian Barnes: Teacher Resource & Worksheet

Julian Barnes's The Sense of an Ending 

This is my personal blog in which i have write about my views on the novel The Sense of Ending. In this blog I have given my Comment in the worksheet given by our Professor Dr. Dilip Barad. In this worksheet there are various types of questions are asked which taught in the class. and also in worksheet there are videos also which helping us to understand the concept.

This is my response to worksheet of The Sense of an Ending

The Sense of an Ending: Julian Barnes: Teacher Resource & Worksheet

Here i have give My views about worksheet:

Answers: 

The novel Sense of Ending written by Julian Barns in this novel there are two parts. This is very short and complex novel. In this novel we find difficulty to understand the points of writer because it deals with the theme like memory and suspense. We find difficulty to understand the psychology of the characters and their relationships in the novel. Tony Webster is the main character and narrator of the novel where he deals with his past events in his life and narrates the story.

1. Phrase ‘Blood Money’ in Veronica’s reply email:

In the novel phrase “Blood money” is used by Veronica Ford when her mother left 500 dollars for Tony Webster and for that Veronica called it “Blood money”. Where we can be find two reasons that in first reason we see the situation and the unhealthy relation between Veronica and her mother Sarah because Sarah has relationship with her own daughter’s boyfriend Adrian and by that she has child from Adrian. This can be one reason that from the guilt of affair with Sarah Adrian has committed suicide. And another reason can be the letter of Tony which he has sends to Adrian for Veronica that letter could have really had a significant impact so that he committed suicide. And so for that Veronica called those 500 dollars as a “Blood money”.

2. Decipher the equation: b = s – v x/+ a1 or a2 + v + a1 X s = b:

In the novel Julian Barns uses a these mathematical equations for the representation of the characters to show their relationship with each other. Writer uses this method because he writes this novel in the postmodern era where he wants the readers to more think about the past of the novel. Where he uses this type of equation for the characters and its relationship.

      1)   b = s – v x/+ a1

B (Baby) = S (Sarah) – V (Veronica) x/+ a1 (Adrian)

In this mathematical equation we find the result is baby because we see that the relationship between mother Sarah and daughter Veronica are not so good and for that Sarah has a relationship with Adrian and it results baby of Sarah and Adrian. 

      2) a2 + v + a1 X s = b

a2 (Antony Webster) + v (Veronica) + a1 (Adrian) x s (Sarah) = b (Baby)

In this mathematical equation we can see that Veronica is stand between Tony and Adrian “a2 + v + a1” it shows that Veronica has relation with both Tony and Adrian. In the novel we see that Tony doesn’t like to go his girlfriend Veronica with Adrian and so he sends letter to Adrian and so that Adrian sends letter to Veronica but there her mother finds that she can build the relation with Adrian and they love to each other and it results baby between them.

3. Adrian suffering from trauma and thus gone mad, and was living with hidden identity:

In the novel Adrian has committed suicide because he was suffering from the trauma and gone mad and living with the hidden identity because he feels very guilty because of the relation with the Sarah who is forty years old woman and make affair with her. So from that guilt he may committed suicide and hides his identity.

4. Veronica related to Adrian, the one suffering in care-in-the-community:

We see that as Sarah and Adrian have an affair and Sarah gave birth to child and he also named as Adrian, a young Adrian. If we see the relation between Veronica and young Adrian they become brother and sister. Brother who is her own lover’s son with her mother. After becoming this situation we may say that the relationship between Veronica and Adrian is not good and he becomes step father for Veronica.

5. Missing block – some dot which is not getting connected with the whole or dot missing to get full sense of the novel - in the plot of this psychological thriller

In the novel there is complexity to understand the situation of the character because writer has not give clear information about the character but by the reading of the novel we can see that the character of Sarah who is always tried to search for the man because she always wants to see that the problems between the Veronica with Tony and Adrian. 

6. Character of Veronica: Instinctive, manipulative, calculating, stubborn, haughty, sacrificial, trustworthy, good Samaritan

The character of Veronica plays very important role in the life of Tony and Adrian because she has an affair with both of them first she loves Tony and then Adrian. First she loves truly to Tony but he doesn’t understand and they have different thinking for from each other so here we find her character as calculative. After her mother’s death she cares Junior Adrian and sacrifices her love for Adrian.

7. What do you mean by Unreliable Narrator?  Tony Webster classifiable as Unreliable Narrator? 

Unreliable narrator means that the narrator who narrates the story is not reliable or trustworthy in which we find there is no connection with the reality or remember events. Tony who is the narrator of the novel and he narrates the story at the age of sixty where he talks about his schooldays memory and after that he finds suspense of the Adrian suicide and his diary. Where he tries to remember the past of his life and narrates the story.

The last fourth cover page is suited for the central theme because in the novel we see the central theme deals with the memory of the narrator and we also find in the cover page there is one watch which symbolizes the time and the memory of the narrator of the novel. Which also symbolizes the history. And we also see in that cover page that there the title is written in different way that “The Sense” seems inside symbolizes the deep sense of the narrator where he goes back to the past of his memory and the “of an Ending” is written outside in front page it shows the complexity and different ending of this  novel. 

Thank you…