Classroom activity - Reading of "The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes

       This blog is part of my classroom activity. In this blog I have answered some questions through my understanding of the novel. 

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Here is my response to the questions,

1.  What does Veronica meant by saying “Blood Money?

       Tony got a letter and 500 pounds from the mother of Veronica, Mrs. Sara Ford. Tony was not able to understand that why she has sent him these money. Sara was dead now. He asked Veronica about the money and at that time she has replied the mail by these two words only “Blood Money”.

      The meaning of this phrase “Blood Money” is when you murder someone and after that you feel guilty and want to repent, you offer some money to the family members or nearest person of the victim. Sara was guilty that she has seduced Adrian and because of the pregnancy of Sara he has committed suicide and died. It was like a murder of Adrian by Sara. She was feeling guilty and sent some money as a part of repentance. Veronica was aware about these things and that is why she has written “Blood Money” in the mail.

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

         Sara ford owned the diary of Adrian because both were in relationship with each other. Adrian was the father of Sara’s child and before committing suicide, both were happy also. As Tony said,

“Veronica’s mother had assured me the last months of Adrian’s life had been happy”

And after reading the letter of Sara Ford, Tony said that,

“Why she had written: “P.S. It may sound odd, but I think the last months of his life were happy.”

Both were happy with each other and that’s why Adrian’s diary was with Sara. After Sara’s death it was with Veronica.

3.  .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?

      There are many missing blocks are in the novel. We can find many questions which are not answered by Julian Barnes. Some things are mysterious in the novel which we have to think twice or thrice to understand and though we can’t get it. Some mysteries like,

> Why Sara hates and jealous with her own daughter Veronica?

> Why Sara warned Tony about his relationship with Veronica?

> Why Adrian got attracted or got seduced by Sara when he had Veronica as a lover?

> Why Veronica left Tony when he is considered as a good man?

> Why all teachers used to favor Adrian?

>  Why Adrian is thinking philosophically all the time?

> Why Adrian has committed suicide if he was happy in his last days?

        These many questions are depended only on possibilities. Novel can’t answer these only reader can through possibilities.

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

       Yes, if we read the first part of the novel and then we compare some same incidents in both the parts, there is vast difference in what Tony narrated and the reality.

    In the very beginning of the novel Tony says,

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

“So I need to return briefly to a few incidents that have grown into anecdotes, to some approximate memories which time has deformed into certainty. If

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

      Many times these kinds of statements come into the narrative. Even the incident of letter in first part and second part is different. In first part Tony says he has written a letter to Adrian and Veronica but in second part when we read the letter we come to know about the harshness of it.