Julian Barnes’s The Sense of an Ending and Ian McEwan’s Saturday are novels that explore different narrative strategies and thematic interests. In The Sense of an Ending, Julian Barnes uses a first-person narrator to discuss the life and memories of one protagonist, Tony Webster. Barnes utilizes flashbacks to tell the story, revisiting events from years ago in order to provide insight into how they have impacted the present day narrative. These flashbacks provide both a sense of nostalgia for the past as well as tension as readers’ understanding of what happened evolves alongside with Tony’s own changing understanding. Throughout these flashbacks, themes such as friendship, love, mortality, memory and identity are explored in detail.
Describe the narrative strategies and thematic interests of Julian Barnes in The Sense of an Ending and Ian Mc Ewan in Saturday.
In addition, Barnes employs elements such as manipulation of time and unreliable narration to further his narrative strategy. Time plays a crucial role in The Sense of an Ending; there is no linear timeline for events or progressions between character relationships which helps create uncertainty throughout the novel about what truly happened all those years ago when Tony was younger. Unreliable narration is used by including details that may not be true or simply things that can only be remembered partially by Tony due to his age and lack certain emotions associated with certain memories being lost over time due to neurodegeneration disease such as Alzheimer’s or dementia ; this helps add more complexity to characters’ motivations while also creating a feeling within readers that they must take clues provided by the author slowly in order to properly understand what has been happening behind it all without jumping into conclusions too soon like Tony did himself at points during his life journey.
In Ian McEwan’s Saturday , he uses multiple narrators throughout the novel focused on Henry Perowne who we follow through intense scenes ranging from moments when he interacts with friends or family members like Rosalind (his daughter) , Sue (his wife) Baxter (a man fromHenry’s past ) along other random people whom he comes across . Instead of relying solely on one narrator like Barns does in The Sense Of An Ending , McEwen utilizes several narrators which gives us better access into internal thought processes related each character instead having just one perspective being narrated off towards us while still maintaining connections between them all via visiting conversations between each person at different times . He also adds suspenseful elements by adding small details here there with surprise plot twists which often lead up chaotic situations later on .
A primary theme explored within Saturday is free will versus fate – whether human beings possess enough freedom act independently their own thoughts / feelings if society constantly trying shape our decisions based on factors outside our control . This idea relates many points discussed during conversations held between various characters active within book – Henry debates this concept heavily against Baxter especially since ultimately decides against pursuing revenge even though had plenty opportunity do so earlier before eventually refraining himself from doing so . In addition , themes justice morality are also touched upon how humans come terms their actions either leading positive outcomes negative ones depending side taken view it from pose questions regarding ethical dilemma between right wrong overall making reader reflect more deeply choices made each situation presented itself throughout entire novel quite frequently .