The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes

The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes

This blog based on the task of the Sense of an Ending.

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

     The reference of blood money can be seen as that the money which getting by Tony is out of the suicide of Adrian. How was he responsible for the suicide? This can be read as that because of the letter of Tony, Adrian goes more nearer to Sarah Ford. Likewise the relationship of both takes place as a burden on Adrian and he committed suicide. So in that context it can be read.

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

B= S- V x/+ a1

B=Baby, S= Sarah, V=Veronica, a1= Adrian

Meaning= Sarah relation with Veronica diminish and her relationship with Adrian came as a result of baby.

A2+ V+ a1 X S =B

A2= Antony Webster, V=Veronica, A1= Adrian, S= Sarah Ford, B=Baby, a1X s= a1’s relationship with S

Meaning= Antony Webster, Veronica and Adrian are friends and the relationship of Adrian with Sarah came as a result of baby

• Adrian’s diary is willed to Tony by Sarah Ford. How come Sarah Ford owned it? Why was it in the possession of Veronica?

As the psychological thriller opened, Tony come to know that Sarah owned the diary because she is the wife of Adrian and veronica possessed it because she is the daughter of them (according to the relationship of both).

• 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?

Possibilities not lie there because there is the clarification of suicide note. Adrian did very intellectual philosophical suicide. He believes that there is nothing wrong in suicide. There are different reasons of suicide but there are not possibilities of Adrian living with hidden identity.

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

At first view point of Tony it is seems like that because of the curse of Tony, Veronica’s child- Adrian suffering from mental disease and she means Veronica as a mother suffering in care-in-the-community. But latter on as time passes he come to know that Veronica and Adrian are brother and sister. And as a sister she carries her brother Adrian.

• 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?

If we talked about the whole novel then there was nothing like that. But I have one doubt in one scene. The scene is where Veronica and Tony are in car and Veronica tries to convey one message to Tony but Tony cannot able to understand. The description of Tony that there are some people who coming in front of him. No doubt that through that place he came to know about the reality of the relationship of Adrian with Sarah. But the clarification of that scene is what Tony describe, I am not able to getting that.

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

There are multiple reasons behind the suicide of Adrian.  First, he is suicide because of the suffering from trauma. Second- His suicide because of the burden that he has. The burden of baby and second the fear from society.

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

This definition of Veronica is coming from Tony. And as time passes, the definition of Veronica also goes on changing. It is the point of view of Tony on Veronica. But the problem is that he has very limited and specific eyesight. He cannot think beyond the boundaries that he has.

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

Yes, Tony Webster classifiable as unreliable narrator because there are many point which suggest that Tony himself clarified that he aren’t reliable. 

For Example-

“I remember, in no particular order”

So, how one can rely on that narration which is not particular in sequence? Another example is that-

“I can’t be sure of the actual events any more, I can at least be true to the impressions those facts left.”

The whole novel based on the memory of Tony but he himself said that he wasn’t sure about his memory. Moreover, he said that the story of his is out of impression. And as time passes or as story growing we come to know that Tony himself becomes the deconstructionist of his memory.  At the end we come to know that he got the memory totally wrong in a way.