The Chain of the Responsibility in the novel 'The Sense of an Ending'.

MAHARAJAKRISHNAKUMARSINHJI

BHAVNAGAR UNIVERSITY, BHAVNAGAR

Smt. S. B. GARDI DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Name : Bhumi Vinodbhai  Joshi

Sem : 4

Roll No : 2

PG Enrollment no : PG14101020

Email Id: bhumivjoshi108@gmail.com

Paper No : 13 The New Literature  

   
     Assignment Sub: 

'Chain of responsibility in the novel -' The Sense of an Ending'.

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v  Preface :

                        'The Sense of an Ending' as known as Memory novel and Psychological thriller which is written by  Julian Patrick Barnes. He deals with many philosophical  and psychological aspect in his novel. The Sense of an Ending' is the story of one man coming to terms with the mutable past. Laced with trademark precision, dexterity and insight, it is the work of one of the world's most distinguished writers.

Ø About the writer :

                        Julian Patrick Barnes is a contemporary English writer who deals with  postmodernist narration in  his text.  He has been shortlisted three times for the Man Booker Prize--- Flaubert's Parrot (1984), England, England (1998), and Arthur & George (2005), and won the prize for The Sense of an Ending (2011). He has written crime fiction under the pseudonym Dan Kavanagh.

Ø About the novel with my point of view :

                     The great Psychological Thriller and Memory novel - I was ever read. The way novel 'The Sense of an Ending' begins the same way novel ends. Unrest , the great Unrest , Chain of responsibility and so on...... How part is terrified and unpredictable which keep readers interest till the last page. Gradually , things are revealed and then even reader can't understand properly what is happing , or what will happen next. such kind of literature is not for aesthetic delight or entertainment. It gives much unrest to mind.  Story of the novel  depends on two words "Now and Then" means "Present and Past." Writer Julian Barnes allows audiences to laugh to convey the hard and harsh reality of life adding some trivia in his narration . Novel is divided into two parts : First part deals  (1.) Imperfection of  Memory  and second part  (2.) Inadequacy of Documentation

both are the most important in our life. How trivial things becomes more important in the novel with postmodern narrative. Much appealing to read this novel because it's all about human relationship, love and death. we  have to accumulate in life  from the both side. It must be counted whatever it is failure or loss and gaining. Psychological aspect Eros and Thanatos  is the central aspect to understand the thing.

            It's all about Memory. Tony Webster tells the story to reader from his memory. Whole life  depends on memory and documentation. We are addicted  to live life with our pathetic memory power and we think that we are happy.  This the universal aspect which is reflected in the novel by writer that..............

 "Life always end up with Contentment rather than Happiness."

v  How part is much appealing and important in the novel :

            Novel divided into 2 parts . First is dealt with 'Memory - Imperfectly'  recorded by Tony Webster and second is all about 'Inadequacy of Documentation in form of 'not preserved letters', a page from Diary with incomplete sentence.  Tony Webster  has only impression of his memory . He  is solitary, retired, and peaceable person now, who revisits his school days or past  with the journey of memory.  Adrian Finn,  Veronica, Robson, Sarah Ford,  Jack these are some important characters in the novel.  So, past is reconstructed or readjusted  with present time with Tony's perspective.  Tony has everything in his life   like comfort retirement , marriage, children or we may say that well settle life. Then question arise Why at the  sense of his end he thinks about his past? Why ?  Is there any purpose ? Why he recalls everything in his 60s?

            It is said that at the old age people have their own memory and they want to live their younger days or look back how many things are left behind by them or how many compromises were done by them.  The same things happen with Tony.

"The Purpose of life is to reconcile us to its eventual loss."

            How all layers of  story is uncovered with 'Psycho Thriller' that is more significant in the novel. Because in both parts we have same story but first one is with 'Impression of Memory' and 'Second one is with 'Inadequacy of Documentation'. How things moves with unrest, great unrest  that is the essential to know in the text. Because, in the part of the novel we come across to anecdotes which is told by Tony Webster through his memory because with the time events are turned into anecdotes.  and later on we come across to event with documentation of Tony's letter which can't be denied by Tony himself.

"You don't get it. You never did,"  Veronica tells this  Tony repeatedly throughout  in the novel  and  how reader read this statement about Tony and somehow this statement construct  our mind because reader also don't know what he doesn't know. Till the last page , reader has to wait to know about Unrest, Great Unrest and Chain of Responsibility......

           

·         Various important points of the Novel:

Various definitions of history

Robson's Suicide

Break up between Tony Webster  and Veronica Ford

Relations of Veronica and Adrian Finn

Role of Ford's Family (Sarah Ford and his family)

Adrian's Suicide

Chain of Responsibility

v  Role of Individual :

            Roles and responsibilities have a noteworthy impact on the quality of life. Each has its role  and  has different responsibilities attached to it and this is where the differences between role and responsibility get highlighted. Individual can be free but can't be free to do things whatever she/he wants to do. one's lives depends on others or one's decision affects to other's life. Human being can't consider much important to play individual role in the society and that's why they don't know How others are suffered from individual's behavior and  decision.

"A Chain of individual reliabilities, all of which were necessary , but not so long a chain that everybody can simply blame everyone else." (Sense of an ending)

            As Tony Webster's individual decision affects so many lives. Because of his sudden decision writing  letter to his friend Adrian under his agony  and disgust of that particular moment. But, Tony Webster don't know what was happened by him until he didn't revisited his memory. So, Individual plays very vital role in the society. Though we think that we all are individual , we all are not free because with our lives  some other lives are connected and can't do whatever we want to do. We have no right to damage  other or harm them or giving suffering throughout their life. As Tony Webster does unknowingly. Though society is made up through individual everybody can't be followed their own principles and not free to do whatever they want to do.

            How readers come across the reality at the ending of the novel "Sense of Ending"? Why Adrian committed suicide ? Why Sarah ford gives money to Tony which is known as 'Blood Money' ? Why Tony thinks that Veronica behaves rudely with him?  Why all such things are happened and affect to everybody ?   Is there anyone who is responsible ? Why Tony is shocked ? Why Tony thinks that he is damaged by others ? Why Tony can't understand anything  ? So many questions are there to discuss because mind is disturbed.  Let's discuss it in detail.

            How things can't be done in isolation , the same way Human being can't be lived in isolation because any action can be affected to others. We are habituated to live with pathetic memory and we never understand the role of memory in our life until something wrong can't be happened in life.  Tony Webster feels that he is damaged and suffered because of others  in his life but he never thinks about other how he damages other's life  yet he don't know about their pain and suffering.

            Is there anything like responsibility ? If readers say that Veronica and 40 years old Adrian suffered from the damage then who did that permanent damage ? Why they suffer throughout their life? Do they wrong things in their life?  Who is responsible for all? How this things started, from which center?

Let's try to discuss first  about responsibility and then with evidences of novel from where we can find some important evidence to find chain of responsibility.

v  What is Responsibility ?

                        Responsibility is a state of consciousness, a feeling of duty towards society and oneself, an awareness of the purpose of the actions performed, their consequences for a certain social group, class, party, collective and oneself. Responsibility is society's necessary means of controlling the behavior of the individual through his consciousness. Responsibility expresses society's specific demand on the individual in the form of duty. Responsibility is not only a moral category, but also a psychological, legal and socio-political one. (Destiny , Freedom Responsibility)

                        Tony Webster  important character to know about this chain of responsibility. Because throughout his life he thinks that he is damaged by others and he is more suffering than others. And has an instinct for survival. But does it really happens ?  Is it the reality ?  Why individual can't think about others?  Why he becomes more self preserver?  Tony tells the story to us putting his self in center and he gets sympathy from everybody. But does he  really deserve the sympathy ?  What does he mean when by 'damage'?

                        The word damage has deeper connotative meaning here. Tony said that "I certainly  believe we all are suffer damage, one way or another." (Sense of an ending)  How we react to damage, whether we admit it or repress it, and how this affect our dealings with other some admit the damage, and try to mitigate it. Some spend their lives trying to help others who are damaged, and then there are those main concerns to be avoid further damage to themselves, at whatever coast.

v  Adrian's suicide note :

     

          Adrian's suicide note gives deep philosophical concern about the concept of Eros and Thanatos .

" Life is a gift bestowed without anyone asking for it, that the thinking person has a philosophical duty to examine both the nature of life and the conditions it comes with; and that if this person decides to renounce the gift no one ask for , it is a moral and human duty to act on the consequences of that decision."

                  Tony himself surprises when he gets money from Veronica's mother - Sarah Ford. He can't understand the thing properly. Tony Webster wants Dairy Of Adrian but Veronica refuses to give it to him. Veronica sends him only single page of diary to  Tony but Tony can't understand the write up which is written in Diary. Tony don't understands  sense of that letter.

v  Some important points from Adrian's dairy :

• "5.4 The question of accumulation. If life is a wager, what from does the beat take?
• 5.5 So a) To what extent might human relationships be expressed in a mathematical or logical formula? And b) If So, What signs might be placed between the integer? Do they not require to be expressed in notations which are logically improbable and mathematically insoluble?
• 5.6 Thus how might you express an accumulation    containing the integers   b, a1, a2, S, V ? b = s – v^x + a¹ or  a² + v + a¹ x s = b?

page ends with 'If Tony.................'

                    One day He gets letter from Veronica which was written  by himself to his friend Adrian for giving warning about Veronica. He himself surprises to see  letter and can't believe but he also can't be denied because letter is written by him and handwritings are proof. That time he thinks how often do we adjust , embellish , make cuts? And longer life goes on, the fewer are those around  to challenge our account, to remind us that our life is not our life, merely the story we have told about our life. Told  - to others , but-mainly -to ourselves.(Sense of an Ending)

·    Just look at the some part  of  letter  written by Tony :

" Dear Adrian - or rather. Dear Adrian and Veronica

(hello, Bitch , and welcome to this letter)

Well you certainly deserve one another and I wish you much joy. I hope you get so involved that the mutual damage will be permanent. I hope you regrets the day I introduced you. And I hope that when you break up , as you inevitably will -I give you six months, which your shared pride will extend to a year, all the better for fucking you up, says I - You are left with lifetime of bittemess that will poison your subsequent relationships. Part of me hopes you'll have a child, because I'm great believer of in time's revenge, yea unto the next generation and the next. See Great Art But revenge must be on the right people, i.e you two. So I don't wish you that it would be unjust to inflict on some innocent foetus the prospect of discovering that it was the fruit of your loins, if you'll excuses the poeticism so  keep rolling the Durex on to his spindly cock.

Adrian : You already know she's cockteaser, of course-though I expect you told yourself she was engaged in a struggle with her Principles, Which you as a philosopher would employ your grey cells to help her overcome. If she hasn't  let you Go All The Way yet, I suggest you break up with her.

She is also  a snob, as you must be aware , who only took up with you because you were soon to have BA Cantab after your name. remember how much you despised Brother Jack and his posh friends? Is that who you want to run with now? But don't forget give her time, and she'll look down on you just as she looks down on me. I can't do anything to you now, but time can. Time will tell. It always does.

Compliments of the season to you, and may the acid rain fall on your joint and anointed heads."

                                                              - Tony

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                          v  Chain of responsibility :

                        As we above discuss what is responsibility and  how it deals with life, here we discuss how  the chain of responsibility plays vital role in the novel.

                        The argument in both the beginning and end of the book,” said Barnes, “is about where responsibility lies. And to what extent something like a suicide is entirely the responsibility of the person who has done it, or is there a whole chain of responsibility. And there usually is. ( The Sense of an Ending).

Ø  Let's  discuss the whole chain of responsibility.

                   After reading the letter which is written by him he gets disturb. He can't able to believe that such things were written by him. To reduces his pain he finds Whisky. He says that " I had been its author then, but was not its author now. Indeed, I didn't recognise that part of myself from  which the letter came. But perhaps this was simply further self-deception."

                        After reading his own letter , Tony thinks about himself how selfish he was!  How - what -he had been : chippy, jealous and malign. Also about his attempt to undermine their relationship. In real life we can't develop as characters develop in novel.

" Ignorance is bliss"

 that is the great relief to live life happily and Tony goes on living because he forgets his past  own letter and what had been written by him in his past but now, he is suffering , he has agony  of his own action.

                        Now, Tony Webster tries to understand the question of accumulation which is written in Adrian's dairy. People generally accumulate their winnings  but do they loses ? Here perhaps rules are different because here, the accumulations must be counted both side but things are related with 'Human relationships'.

                        Now, Tony thinks that he clearly understand the equation which is written by Adrian in his dairy. He connects the dots of the past with present and also remembers the definition of history with connection of his own personal life. He writes the letter to Veronica and says that he knows everything but still it is the illusion of Tony Webster and once again feels the humiliation from the statement  of Veronica that " You just don't get it, do you? You never did, and You never will."

                        Tony Webster don't know what  Veronica wanted to show him in group though he is minute observer he can't get the point. When readers read this part to go particular places and come back without any kind of motifs of Tony, readers feel the disturbance. It seems like......................................................

'Time forgets to move.'

                        Much irritation and agony are existed in that narration. And Tony can't understand thing properly and readers can't understand what Tony is not able to understand.

"This was Adrian's Son. I didn't need a birth certificates or DNA test - I saw it and I felt it."

                         His first reaction is that he remembered his words through which he addressed Veronica "It's just a question of whether you can get pregnant before he discovers you're a bore." "When I am trying to damage them I had written that I'm great believer of in time's revenge, But revenge must be on the right people, i.e you two."

                        Tony Webster feels remorse , much suffering and then says that "Of Course I didn't believe in cruse. But Time's  revenge on innocent foetus."  He thinks the reason behind Adrian's Child condition that Perhaps the trauma of Adrian's suicide had affected  the child in her (Veronica's) womb. Such child needs special treatment , special cares and special school. And he thinks that he is suffering from the great damage by Veronica and others.

                   He connects the reason of suicide his philosopher friend Adrian that......

 "Any responsible , thinking individual should have the right to reject this gift that had never asked for."

                        People who compromises a lot in life they live a longer life like Tony. The final  assertion of individuality against generality that oppresses it .  Tony changes his perspective to see persons and things. Now, he also respects Robson's girlfriend. Why ? He changes the perspective and thinks from her side. That is taught to  him by time and experience of his life. Life is only one way track one can't travel the same again. We can't change the past which is already lived as Tony Can't. What Tony can do ? Remorse only, Nothing else.

                        Readers can't understand what exactly going on. Tony says that he understands everything and Veronica still  refuses saying that....." You still don't get it. You never did, and You never will. So  stop even trying." Still thriller remaining in the novel with such sentence What it is which is not revealed yet ?

                        When Tony knows the reality he gets shocks as well as readers also that "Mary isn't his mother. Mary's sister. Adrian's mother died about six months ago. He took it very badly. That's why he's been.......having problems lately."

                  And Tony gets sticks what is the actual meaning of Adrian's equation and accumulation talk of human relationship in his diary.   Now for Tony it is clear how might express an accumulation containing the integers and formula   b, a1, a2, S, V ? b = s – v^x + a¹  or  a² + v + a¹ x s = b?

Letter stands for :

B = Baby, a1 = Adrian, a2 = Anthony , S = Sarah , V= Veronica.

            Adrian’s strange formulas now suddenly make sense. b = s – v^x + a¹  The first formula doesn't give space  to Tony, and it gives more space to Adrian and Sarah in the absence of Veronica.  a² + v + a¹ x s = b. The second does bring Tony into the equation, which is certainly the more important of the two.

"Baby Born as result of damage who was now  a man of forty, lost in grief. and who called his sister Mary. I look at the chain of responsibility. I saw my initial there. I remembered that my ugly letter I had urged Adrian to consult Veronica's mother . I replayed the words that would forever haunt me. As I would Adrian's unfinished sentence. 'So for instance, If Tony.........'I knew I couldn't change or mend, anything now."    (Sense of an Ending 86)

                    What would be in the dairy of Adrian after "If Tony.

       Life itself leads towards the end. We all are allow to think what have done wrong in past because we all have responsibilities. No individuals are free in life. Accumulation must be counted. And  now Tony "thought of What I couldn't know or understand now, of all that couldn't ever be known or understood." Tony regrets why he wrote the letter being influenced of moment agony, jealous and envy. Now, he understands how he is the first person of that chain of responsibility and because of him so many lives are suffered.

                        Yes, I believe that  there is responsibility lies in action on individual. There is whole chain of responsibility. And there usually is. Adrian committed suicide because of  Sarah's pregnancy but why ? because  Tony leads him to there through writing letter . Then all things happen. Thus, Tony becomes the first person of that chain of responsibility. Tony admits his responsibilities at the end of the novel. But nothing will be changed because all have  to suffer permanently throughout the life. Tony  goes on living life happily until he revisited his . He goes  on survive because he has no courage to end up his life. We all have individual role to play. There is accumulation. There is responsibility. And beyond these there is unrest . There is great unrest.

v  Epilogue :

                        Nobody can escape from responsibility. So, What is it to be responsible? and What is a person responsible for ?  This things are connected with chain of responsibility. Responsibility is not only connected with moral conscience but it also connect with mental state. Being individual , there is some responsibility which should be done by everybody so that everybody can live life happily. No one has right to do things which harm to others.

           

                        We never know how we are responsible for others  damage and then even we don't realize it until we revisited our own memory. How trivial things harm others. May be we are not feel good today and that's why we do something to others or write something to others or do something unconsciously then even it will become great damage of others. As , Tony Webster did through his letter.  How he becomes the first person of the chain of responsibility. If tony Webster didn't write that letter under his agony or disgust , so many lives are saved.

 एक क्षण जो सचवाई होत तो , 

पछी केटली क्षणो उजवाई होत !!

 And such things happen in our real life also. When we do work , there is always responsibility in our action . We have to be careful otherwise it leads temptation only until the death. We need to understand things and persons. We must be observer not judgmental because with growing time things must be changed but past can't.  Our opinion must be changed that' why no need to give sudden reaction to anything because it will be changed and person has remorse of that particular things.  

                        In life remorse can't give relief, Human being can't life with  peace because relationship must be acclimated. Each has responsibility. Then why others are suffered because of  others?  Because of Tony's letter  Veronica suffers throughout the life and what about child  Adrian - Adrian's son? who does nothing wrong and then even he suffered from his own life. So, Whether people are understood or not, whether they are mature or not , responsibility is there.  The chain of responsibility  is there and sometime it ends with the same 'Sense of an Ending's' ending that...."There is accumulation. there is responsibility. There is unrest and there is great unrest."  
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Works Cited

Destiny ,Freedom, and Responsibility . 12 March 2016 <https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/spirkin/works/dialectical-materialism/ch05-s07.html>.

Barnes, Julian. The Sense of an Ending . London: Jonathan Cape , n.d.

Martin, Sandra. Movie Review The Sense of an Ending. Friday August 2013. 11 March 2016 <(http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/the-sense-of-an-ending-by-julian-barnes/article4192869/)>.

Role Vs Responsibility. 11 March 2016 <(http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-role-and-vs-responsibility/)>.