Philosophically Self-Evident: Meaning of The Sense of An Ending;s Title
The title of The Sense of an Ending refers the many ‘endings’ in the novel. Of the ‘endings’, Adrian’s suicide seems to be the most crucial event in the novel. His suicide raises a question that Tony implies throughout the book: Which is better: living a meaningless life or committing a meaningful suicide?
Robson’s suicide at the beginning is cast off as a meaningless suicide as his note was just an apology to his mother and he did not make a grand statement. In reaction to Robson’s suicide, Adrian quotes Camus, stating that “suicide was the only true philosophical question.” Later, however, after Adrian’s death, Tony raises the thought that perhaps Adrian’s death was just as pointless and wasn’t as philosophical as Adrian had perhaps hoped and that his note was actually just as meaningless as Robson’s earlier in the book. Several times, it is clear that Tony thinks that he has chosen the ‘meaningless life’ option and that his character is no longer growing and he is just stagnant. Tony seems to view himself as an average man with regrets.
Although the book is most contingent on Adrian’s death, the seemingly meaningless of Tony’s life could be viewed as another important ‘ending’ in the novel. His life does not literally end as Robson’s and Adrian’s, but he views his life as no longer growing; a series of additions and subtractions. In Adrian’s suicide note, Adrian claims that every person has the right to ‘renounce the gift of life’ and has the duty to act upon their decision. Tony, having chosen to not ‘renounce the gift,’ struggles with the statements in Adrian’s note.
In the end of the novel, it remains unclear whether or not Tony views Adrian’s death as philosophical or meaningless. Adrian’s ending, philosophical or not, has an incredible impact on the characters in the novel. The ‘ending’ in the title seems to refer to the philosophical ending of a person’s life. This does not explicitly mean death, but rather the point, that Tony discusses, in which
Robson’s suicide at the beginning is cast off as a meaningless suicide as his note was just an apology to his mother and he did not make a grand statement. In reaction to Robson’s suicide, Adrian quotes Camus, stating that “suicide was the only true philosophical question.” Later, however, after Adrian’s death, Tony raises the thought that perhaps Adrian’s death was just as pointless and wasn’t as philosophical as Adrian had perhaps hoped and that his note was actually just as meaningless as Robson’s earlier in the book. Several times, it is clear that Tony thinks that he has chosen the ‘meaningless life’ option and that his character is no longer growing and he is just stagnant. Tony seems to view himself as an average man with regrets.
Although the book is most contingent on Adrian’s death, the seemingly meaningless of Tony’s life could be viewed as another important ‘ending’ in the novel. His life does not literally end as Robson’s and Adrian’s, but he views his life as no longer growing; a series of additions and subtractions. In Adrian’s suicide note, Adrian claims that every person has the right to ‘renounce the gift of life’ and has the duty to act upon their decision. Tony, having chosen to not ‘renounce the gift,’ struggles with the statements in Adrian’s note.
In the end of the novel, it remains unclear whether or not Tony views Adrian’s death as philosophical or meaningless. Adrian’s ending, philosophical or not, has an incredible impact on the characters in the novel. The ‘ending’ in the title seems to refer to the philosophical ending of a person’s life. This does not explicitly mean death, but rather the point, that Tony discusses, in which