How Did Ian McEwan Tell the Story in Chapter 13?

“How did Ian McEwan tell the story in chapter 13?”

Chapter 13 in enduring love is written in the past tense and the narrator, Joe is reflecting back on the experience of visiting John Logan’s wife. Chapter 13 is a continuation from the previous chapter and this increases the height of suspense and curiosity for the reader. Joe tells us the events of the day as it happens which is linear chronology. Everything in the chapter follows a time sequence and it comes in an order, from the arrival at Jeans house until they leave at the end of the chapter. Joe does speak of the balloon incident, which is a flashback although it is chronological to the events in the chapter.

McEwan also uses the description in chapter 13 of Jean Logan’s house to mirror the characterisation of herself after the death of her husband. Jean Logans house is located in Oxford. Oxford is famously known worldwide as having the one of the best universities in England, this fits her character perfectly as she is academic and an intelligent woman and her house should be a reflection of her background and academia but we are told otherwise. It now seemed a perfect setting for sorrow; we are told that the room is cramped, tangled covers and pillows, the gas fire leaking carbon monoxide made it difficult to breathe. The state of the house is a wreck, its run down and there seems to be that no affection is given into taking care of it. The state of the house suggests that that maybe this is an outcome of grief and she is choosing to neglect after the loss of John,

. Jean is embodied by the grief as we are told and this gives the reader the view that she is upset and mourning his death. However ‘’the anger in her voice was suddenly there” suggests that other than grief and distress she looks for answers

 questions regarding John and she wants these cleared up. She needs reassurance and closure

The place Joe goes to visit in this chapter is Jean Logan's home which is in Oxford. Oxford is famously known for having one of the best universities in the country. This fits in well with the character of Jean Logan as she is an academic, intelligent woman who is able to make a persuasive argument. Characters and Characterization In this chapter Jean Logan is described as the embodiment of grief by Nick in the beginning of the chapter. The fact he uses this makes the reader think that she is upset and mourning for her late husband however 'the anger in her voice was suddenly there'. this suggests that even though Jean has lost her husband she wants certain things cleared up like if her husband was cheating on her. Voices in the Text We hear the narrative in this chapter only through the voice of Joe Rose. He is a trustworthy narrator because he was there at the time, so part of the experience, therefore he is a primary source. However he might not be trustworthy because as a character, we notice he questions himself frequently, like when he says, “...with its door, or doors, wide open.” Furthermore, he is an intrusive narrator, which means that in addition to reporting the events of the original story, also further comments on Jean Logan’s character, and reflects upon the significance of certain occurrences from his own perspective and interpretation.
Other voices are presented in this text by dialogue, for example. We hear what Jean Logan says, and her opinions, through her conversation with Joe. We are also in a way able to hear the voice of the sergeant Jean mentions, repeating the words he said to her; “There, there Mrs Logan!... We know it’s your husband, the father of your children, but we’re in charge and please don’t get in the way.” Points of View We hear the narrative in this chapter only through the voice of Joe Rose. Joe is not only a character in the story but is an active participant. This effects the narration as he can be biased and this can lead to an unreliable narrator. However Joe says that he can be biased so therefore this shows that he could be considered to be a reliable narrator because he knows that he may be biased at some point. He is also a trustworthy narrator because he was there at the time, so part of the experience, therefore he is a primary source. Destination Voices in the Text Continued the voices do not all agree, as Jean Logan’s suspicions of her husband having an affair is disputed by the sergeant.
I would say that the voice I believe is that of Joe Rose, and this is because he appears to be thinking the most logically: “What I was in Jean’s grief reduced my own situation to uncomplicated elements, to a periodic table of simple good sense.” This is a straightforward and rational thought by him, amidst the confusing events going on around him and in the mind of Jean Logan.
In contrast to this, Jean’s opinions in this text are based upon grief and anger, therefore they might not be completely realiable.