Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Sense of an Ending : Julian Barnes

 

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  The Sense of an Ending is a novel by Julian Barnes and in which we see the main theme was theory of fiction. Here the novel begins with someones past memory, which is not at all reliable. Narrator of the part one Tony himself not faithful with his own memory. This novel leads with the memory and at the end of the novel secret was revile but the memory was unfaithful to the readers.  Some questions was being unfold at the end of the novel. So, we don't know about the truth at the end of the novel. 

 

1) What is the meaning of phrase ‘Blood Money’ in Veronica’s reply email?  

 

The Phrase 'Blood Money' play a vital role in this novel. These two words are written into the Veronica's mail, to Tony. When Sarah Ford died she leaves 500 pounds and Adrian's dairy in her will, which is directly goes to Veronica after the death of Sarah Ford. One major reason behind it is that, Sarah was very happy with this relationship, with Adrian. So she just wants to say thanks to Tony and give him that 500 pound and Adrian's dairy. Sarah was living very happy life with Adrian. The word 'Blood Money' symbolize here with the suicide of Adrian. Sarah become pregnant by Adrian so that Adrian committed suicide. After the death of Sarah Veronica thinks that this money somehow connected with the Adrian's death, so she called it 'Blood Money'.

 

2) How do you decipher the equation: b = s – v x/+ a1 or a2 + v + a1 X s = b?

 

Here in the novel the relationship between the characters described with the Methodological Puzzle. In the dairy of Adrian we saw that kind of equation but Tony can't understand it well. There is hidden massage in this puzzle by Adrian. After meet with the Sarah what happened in his life he tell all the things with this equation. May be there were some hidden truth about Adrian suicide and the secret of the baby child. Here is the simple thing which related with each characters first latter. 

 

 

B= Baby

S= Sarah

V=Veronica

A1= Adrian

A2= Antony  

 

 

First equation is about the relationship between the mother, daughter and daughter's lover and the questionable existence of baby. Veronica's nature not good with her mother so that after meet with Adrian, Sarah minus her relation with her daughter Veronica. When Adrian meet Sarah then they living happily life together. So, one reason is that the result behind that relationship baby's was arrival. And at there were we saw that the absence of Antony. 

 

Second equation starts with the story line. First Tony meets Veronica, then he introduced her with his friend Adrian. When Adrian and Veronica live together Tony wrote a latter to Adrian that to know about Veronica's nature from her mother. Then he goes to Sarah at there he fall in love with Sarah. Both are living together and so that Sarah was pregnant. So that Adrian committed suicide and the Baby comes into existence. Here we saw that the presence of Antony into the equation. 

 

At the end we can say that Tony was only chain of responsibility for that.  Because of Tony, Sarah and Adrian meet. The Indian Karmic philosophy we connected here because the Karma only depend on your good karma or bad karma. If we suffers a lot in our life it is also based on our karma.

 

 

   3) Adrian’s diary is willed to Tony by Sarah Ford. Why did Sarah Ford own it? Why was it in the possession of Veronica?

 

 

Sarah Ford willed to Tony Adrian's dairy because she told him to thanks for giving such happiness in her life. Sarah had relationship with the Adrian so she own his dairy. After the death of Sarah Ford her will was possession to Veronica so Adrian's dairy later on own to Veronica.  

 

 

4)  Was the mentally retarded middle aged ‘Adrian’, Tony’s friend who did not commit suicide and was suffering from trauma and thus gone mad, and was living with hidden identity?  

 

The scene when Tony talking with someone in pub about his friend Adrian, we think that the middle aged 'Adrian', is actually a Tony's friend who suffering from trauma and thus gone mad, maybe he was living life with hidden identity. Or other side Tony thinks that he was the Adrian and Veronica's child. Talking with the man Tony know that Veronica was not his mother but his sister. After knowing that Tony looking with another side that some relation between the Sarah and Adrian. But he never understand that he was their baby or actually his friend Tony.

 

 

  5)  How was Veronica related to Adrian, the one suffering in care-in-the-community?

 

Adrian and Sarah fall in love with each other. After some time Sarah becomes pregnant with the Adrian. He was in guilt so he committed suicide. After that Sarah gives birth to baby boy, and gives his name also 'Adrian'. Because of the late aged pregnancy the child born with some fault. After the death of Sarah Veronica only one who tack care of him. Because of the Blood relation with him, after all he was his brother. Veronica regularly visits to suffering in care-in -the community because the tacking care of her brother or may be  we can say that her  lover Adrian.

 

 6)  Do you see any 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?

 

This novel is about psychological thriller. By reading this novel we  feel that there were some missing block between the story. Because the novel had written on someones memory, so it is not reliable. When narrator tell us a story in between he lost into the trivia kind of things to tell readers. Throughout the novel many questions raised in our mind, but it is not solved at the end of the novel. The questions like,

 

1) Suicide of Robson 

2) Tony breaks the relation with Veronica

3) Adrian's suicide

4) Adrian already in love with Veronica then why he fall in love with Sarah?

5) What Veronica do when she know about Adrian and her mother relation?

6) Why Veronica still not get marry with someone? and tacking care of Sarah's son?

That type of series of questions in my mind after reading the novel. Julian Barnes also not given any clearly answer to these questions. There are 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.

 

 
7) Do you see any possible reason in the suicide of Adrian Finn?

 

Sarah becomes pregnant because of Adrian, so that he committed suicide that is the open ended sentence in the novel by simply reading. But when we think deeply about their relationship, there was a huge age difference between the Adrian and Sarah. Adrian feel guilt about that he was only 20 or 22 so that relation turn in wrong way so he committed suicide.  

 

 

 8)  In the light of new revelations, how do you read character of Veronica? Instinctive, manipulative, calculating, stubborn, haughty, sacrificial, trustworthy, Good Samaritan?

 

The revelation of the character of Veronica we see at the end of the novel. In the beginning of the novel according to Tony the character of Veronica is manipulative, calculating, stubborn, haughty. But the secret reveal at the end of the novel. Veronica tack care of the baby of Adrian and Sarah, she didn't get married with anyone. So at the end of the novel her character reveal as a sacrificial and trustworthy.

 

9)  What do you mean by Unreliable Narrator? Is Tony Webster   classifiable as Unreliable Narrator?  

 

The meaning of the word Unreliable Narrator that we can not trust on the memory of narrator. The narrator himself not trust on his memory. The moments which is already becomes past and now we try to remember that thing as it is happened in the past that is not possible. Tony recalls his memory from his past but he can not exactly try to think in structure, and he was not sure with his memory. The novel start with the line,

“I remember, in no particular order: —a shiny inner wrist;”

It is said by Tony about his own memory. 

 

 I can’t be sure of the actual events anymore; I can at least be true to the impressions those facts left. That’s the best I can manage.”

 That is the other example into the novel about the Unreliable Narrator. Tony not remember the things which is important to connect the dots with the story, but he exactly know the trivia things with the time, date and place. So we can say that Tony was Unreliable narrator.

 

Thank you...