The Role of Science

What kind of Science is Joe Interested in?

Objective: begin to investigate the role of Science in the narrative of Enduring Love.

• Re-read page 48, beginning with this passage: ‘In three hours I could break the back of my piece on narrative in science. I already had the outlines of a theory ...’.

• In pairs, write a list of Joe’s thoughts, and identify any ideas that you find difficult to understand or explain.

• Now consider McEwan’s use of oxymorons, metaphors, symbolism, contrast and diction on this page. What do you find interesting about Joe’s reflections? Create a map of techniques below, remembering to include quotes:

• Now read the passage on page 50 beginning: ‘What I had written wasn’t true. It wasn’t written in the pursuit of truth, it wasn’t science ...’

• Using details from pages 49 and 50, what, for Joe, is the key difference between science and storytelling? Write a list of key word quotes to show the differences between the two. A couple of examples have been done for you:

Science Storytelling

Re-read the passages on pp.69–70, which explain neo-Darwinism.

• 4. Summarise neo-Darwinism in your own words from Joe’s information

• 5. Why do you think that neo-Darwinism is so attractive for Joe?

“Pathological Extensions of

Love”

Links between humanity

and animality

McEwan uses Joe’s character to explore both of these

Areas of social science

‘The Pathological Extensions of Love’• 1994 – Mullen and Pathe • Parts of their report are quoted by McEwan in the narrative (Enduring Love was published in 1997)

AbstractBACKGROUND Clarification is still required of the nature of pathological love.

METHOD A series is presented of 16 personally assessed cases with pathologies of love (erotomania).

RESULTS The pathologies of love usually involve a mixture of morbid infatuation and a morbid belief in being loved. They occur both in a symptomatic form, as part of an underlying mental illness, as well as in a pure form, where their emergence is to some extent understandable in a vulnerable personality. These disorders often go unrecognised to the detriment of clinical management.

CONCLUSIONS Pathologies of love create distress and disruption to the patient, and place the objects of their unwarranted affection at risk of at best harassment and at worst violence. Although this series of cases, which is drawn predominantly from forensic practice, overemphasises the risk of overt violence, the distress occasioned by pursuit and harassment alone should not be underestimated.

Chapter 8

Jed keeps vigil outside the apartment. Joe reports this 'stalking' to the police and receives 29 answer phone messages from Jed.

• In what way is this chapter ' a starting point' in the story?

• How has Jed's obsession developed by the end of the chapter?

• What do we learn about Joe's career and sense of failure? Why might this be important?

Chapter 9This chapter marks a narrative shift. It is told in the third person from Clarissa's point of view; the narrator says, 'at least from that point as I later construed it.' Clarissa and Joe argue about Jed.• Why do you think McEwan has changed the narrative

style at this point in the novel? • What does this chapter reveal about the different

viewpoints of Clarissa and Joe? • How has Parry already begun to come between them? • Does this chapter alter your view of events or change

your sympathies?

• Humans’ simultaneous civilised distance from and animal closeness to their evolutionary past.

• The narrative of life on earth – one of the goals of Enduring Love is to convey the value of viewing human evolution and existence as part of and in terms of the planet’s natural world.

After Xmas• Group work: presentations• In groups, you will be exploring a significant passage from the novel. You should

consider how best to present your ideas and notes to the rest of the class.• Group A• Explore what your passage reveals about Joe’s perspective (pp.55–56 – Joe re-

analyses• the accident).• Group B• Explore what your passage contributes to the development of the plot as a whole• (pp.75–77 – Joe tells the story of his career).• Group C• Explore what your passage reveals about the benefits or disadvantages of looking

at the• world ‘scientifically’ (pp. 163–165 – the discussion about genetics in the

restaurant).