Thinking Activity on 'Sense of an Ending'

1) How do you understand memory and history with reference to your reading of this novel.

The concept of memory and history remains significant in whole novel.  After reading about memory and history we can say that it helps in widening the horizon of mind.  Because after reading,  we can say that an accumulation of a memory can be wrong. We remember only those moments which we like. By passing the time it gets darker.  We narrate constructed memory only and as a consequence of it, it creates unreliable history.  Sometimes we may take benefits of defeated( Who is not present)  in describing the history. It can be said that whatever person narrates,  truth may be some where near but role of characters might be different.
         

          In addition to it,  we can take the quote of Michiko Kakutani.  " The Sense of an Ending " looks at the ways in which people distort or tailor the past in an effort to mythologize their own lives. 

   This quote gives an important aspect to look at the history. What we can say is that if person has not good relationship with others then he/she will try to distort the history. ( But in future he/she might feel remorse also)    But if person describes his own history then he/she try to tailor the history. ( Because, inadequacies of documentation )  So,  at the end we can say is that what one tells about himself can't be true. One needs to go to check history of the historians. ( That can be wrong also )

    Thus, we can say that what Adrian says is quite true... History is that certainly produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation. 

2) How do you understand the concept of suicide with reference to your reading of literature ranging from Renaissance play Hamlet, 20th cen Existentialist philosophy and this 21st cen novel The Sense of an Ending?

During our whole life we find so many characters in literature (and also in real life)  who commits suicide.  In the case of 'Hamlet' we can say that because of the moral concern he doesn't commit suicide. ( But it can be possible that 'Hamlet' has still desire for a throne ) 

         When we see from existentialist angle,  suddenly, we can recall Albert Camus.  Who explains the idea of philosophical suicide.  Means one who commits suicide they tries to escape from the responsibilities. One should grapple with the struggle in total absence of hope.  So,  Existentialist sees suicide as an act of a looser.  

            After reading The Sense of an Ending, we get different notion related to suicide.  It breaks the idea of morality. ( which is constructed by social norms)   We can say that both characters ( Robson, Adrian) suicides by their own. ( We doesn't get proper idea about their suicides. Because everything is represented by Victorious)  It seems that after living/ enjoying / Experiencing  such a life,  they thinks that they have lived their lives,  they played their role wholeheartedly and now they don't want to live furthermore. (Eros and Thanatos) ( There are such a films which shows that types of characters.  In  Ramayana also we find Rama Who drowns himself in the river. Where's Sita asks Mother Earth to take herself in her arms. And the daughter of Earth merges into her mother.