"The Only Story" by Julian Barnes is a novel that explores the complexities of love and relationships. The story is narrated by Paul, who looks back on his youth and reflects on a significant romantic relationship he had with a woman named Susan. The novel delves into the challenges and consequences of a love affair that begins in the 1960s when Paul is just 19 years old and Susan is 48. As the narrative unfolds, Barnes examines the impact of this unconventional love story on Paul's life and how it shapes his understanding of love, memory, and the passage of time. (Barnes)
a. Who is the speaker and to whom is this question addressed? - Paul is the Speaker and he is asking this Question to Joan.b. What is the response given by the recipient? - Joan responded ‘You cheeky bugger. I suppose Susan told you. Well, it’s a fair question, and one I can answer.’ ‘You see – I hope you never get there yourself – but some of us get to the point in life where we realize that nothing matters. Nothing fucking matters. And one of the few side-benefits of that is you know you’re not going to go to hell for filling in the wrong answers in the crossword. Because you’ve been to hell and back already and you know all too well what it’s like.’c. Is the reference to "cheating at crosswords" repeated in the novel? - Yes, at one point it is said through the point of view of Paul that in traditional meaning it is not good to cheat in the crossword and second come through the point of view of Joan that she didn't consider this as cheating, her definition of cheating is different from Paul.d. What inferences can be drawn from this reference? - Joan cheats at crossword puzzles because she believes life is chaotic and doesn't have a clear purpose. Cheating is her way of rebelling against the idea that everything in life needs to be figured out. For her, it's a way to accept the randomness and uncertainty of life. The crossword puzzle becomes like a game where there are no strict rules, offering her comfort and distraction from the difficulties of life. It's her personal way of dealing with the challenges and pain she has experienced.
a. Use ChatGPT as a starting point, and then compare and contrast with information from the teacher's blog (Click Here).
Response from ChatGPT:-
- Relationships are Like Puzzles: Crosswords are like tricky puzzles, and in the story, the main character's love story is also tricky. He loves an older woman, which is not usual. This is similar to solving a difficult puzzle – it needs effort and patience.
- Remembering and Thinking About the Past: Crosswords need a good memory, and in the book, the main character thinks about his past a lot. The crossword is a symbol for putting together memories and making a story. It shows that life is like a bunch of connected moments.
- Order and Disorder: Crosswords are neat and organized. This is different from life, which can be messy. The main character deals with messy relationships, and the crossword shows his wish for things to be neat and in order.
- Thinking Smart and Escaping: Doing crosswords is smart, and in the story, it's a way for the main character to escape from his complicated relationships. It tells us that sometimes people turn to smart things to deal with life's challenges.
- Finishing Things and Feeling Done: Completing a crossword feels good, like finishing something important. In the book, the main character wants to finish and figure out his relationships. The crossword is like a symbol for completing things and finding answers.
b. Write a comprehensive answer that summarizes the findings. - While comparing the both answers one might see that the answer or response generated by the ChatGPT is more like to see the symbol of 'Crossword' from the point of view of the whole novel. While the Answer in the Teacher's Blog mostly focuses on the idea of Traditional meaning of 'Crossword' and Joan's new point of view towards it. As we can see that when Joan cheated in the crossword she didn't consider it as cheating but Paul somewhere might have. Though both the answers have their own point of view which might help us to see this novel through different points of view.
3. Analyze the following quote in the context of the novel: "The point of the story is 'safe and capable.'"
a. Identify the speaker and the person to whom the quote is addressed. - Susan is the Speaker and she is telling this to Paul.
b. Describe the significance of this quote within the context of the story. - "The point of the story is 'safe and capable.' When Jack was dying, he entrusted Gordon to Susan because he trusted that she would take good care of him. This trust was so significant that, despite Jack's love for Paul Roberts (his lover), he couldn't leave Gordon for Paul. Therefore, 'safe and capable' in this context is closely tied to the trust Jack placed in Susan."
4. Evaluate the use of the phrase "moviemaker's bromide" in the novel "The Only Story."
a. How many times is the phrase used in the novel? - This phrase is used 2 times in the novel.
b. What is the situation when this phrase appears in the novel? - When this phrase appears in the novel 2 times, the situation is the same that Paul was with Susan while she is on her Deathbed and he says how a Goodbye can be dramatic directed by Movie Maker like a Moviemaker's Bromide.
c. What does it signify within the context of the story? - When we view this within the context of the novel, we observe the idea of Paul, who is currently old, coming to meet Susan, his lover, on her deathbed. We can also discern Julian Barnes' idea conveyed through the character of Paul and his situation. If it were a movie, it would resemble the classic scenario where the last hero kisses the heroine's forehead, she passes away, and the story concludes with dramatic flair. This is evident in the original lines of the text as well: "I wondered if I should kiss her goodbye. Another moviemaker’s bromide. And, no doubt, in that film, she would stir slightly in response, her frown lines uncrease, and her jaw relax. Then I would indeed lift back her hair, whisper into her delicately helixed ear a final 'Goodbye, Susan.' At which she would stir slightly, and offer the trace of a smile. Then, with the tears unwiped from my cheeks, I would rise slowly and leave her." (Barnes) This idea contrasts the old notion of love and portrays the reality that love often concludes with such emotions. Thus, it rejects the old-fashioned idealization of love, leaning more towards practical contemplation.
NARRATIVE PATTERN OF THE NOVEL:-
Narrative Patterns are normally in the First Person or in the third person but in this novel we can see that second person narration is also as interesting and important as other narration. Also the narration by the protagonist is likely to be unreliable. Julian Barnes' 2018 novel, "The Only Story," enthralls readers with its intricate narrative pattern, skillfully blending classical storytelling elements with postmodern techniques. (Barad)
Narrative pattern in this novel also tells the story and represents some of the aspects of life and love. One might see that the sentences are mostly written in a Philosophical way. Paul begins, as if in essay form, with a wide, philosophical question: “Would you rather love the more, and suffer the more, or love the less, and suffer the less?” (Clanchy) When we talk about unreliable Narration one can see how the protagonist talks about Past.
You understand, I hope, that I’m telling you everything as I remember it? I never kept a diary, and most of the participants in my story – my story! my life!
With these lines one can argue that if the protagonist talks about the past on which bases we can assume that he is telling the truth? and we can't think that he is telling the truth only if he talks about what he remembered. It is more like he is telling the only story according to his point of view. Barnes uses a classic novelist's trick of talking directly to the reader, making the story feel more traditional. In the book, the main character, Paul, often talks to us readers, almost like he's standing on a stage and having a conversation with himself and us (Barad) as we can see in these lines from the original text.
"Would you rather love the more, and suffer the more; or love the less, and suffer the less? That is, I think, finally the only real question."
- Structured along Classical Line
- Narrative Trope
- Unreliable Narrator - Paul Roberts
- Narration drifts from first person to second and third person
- Authorial Comments - Philosophical Broodings
"You invite her for coffee one morning, then start having sandwich lunches in the nearby public gardens. One evening you take her to the cinema and kiss her goodnight. You exchange phone numbers.
A few days later, she asks, ‘Who’s that madwoman who lives in your house?’
‘I’m sorry?’ Already there is a chill spreading through you.
‘I rang you up last night. A woman answered the phone.’
‘That would have been my landlady.’ ‘She sounded as mad as a hatter.’
You take a breath. ‘She’s a little eccentric,’ you say. You want this conversation to stop, immediately. ...You wish she had never phoned the number you gave her. You very much don’t want her to be specific, but you know she is going to be.
‘I asked when you’d be back, and she said, “Oh, he’s very much the dirtystop-out, that young man, you can’t rely on him from one moment to the next.”
‘That day – the last day – the doctor – the one looking after him, who was a good friend as well – came in and said quietly, “It’s time to put you under, Jack.” “You’re right,” came the reply. He’d been in terrible pain for too long, you see. Then Jack turned to me and said, “I’m sorry our acquaintance has been so brief, my dear. It’s been wonderful knowing you. I’m aware that Gordon can be a difficult row to hoe, but I’ll die happy knowing that I leave him in your safe and capable hands.” And then I kissed him and left the room.’‘You mean, the doctor killed him?’‘He gave him enough morphine to put him to sleep, yes.’‘But he didn’t wake up?’‘No. Doctors used to do that in the old days, especially among themselves. Or with a patient they’d known a long time, where there was trust. Easing the suffering is a good idea. It’s a terrible disease.’‘Even so. I’m not sure I’d want to be killed.’‘Well, wait and see, Paul. But that’s not the point of the story.’
- Barad, Dilip. “EXPLORING NARRATIVE PATTERNS IN JULIAN BARNES' "THE ONLY STORY."” ResearchGate, vol. 6, 2020. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371874310_EXPLORING_NARRATIVE_PATTERNS_IN_JULIAN_BARNES'_THE_ONLY_STORY. Accessed 2 2 2024.
- Barnes, Julian. The Only Story. Random House, 2018.
- Clanchy, Kate. “The Only Story by Julian Barnes review – an exquisite look at love.” The Guardian, 26 January 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jan/26/the-only-story-julian-barnes-review. Accessed 2 February 2024.
- Open AI. "Chat GPT-3.5"
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