Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
—-I see that last tableau to be three people in very close proximity: Clare, Irene and Jack Bellew. —-
If this book was all about race the ending would have been Jack pushing Clare, but I think most of us see that as the least likely solution. If Irene pushed Clare then ending the book in this manner becomes a cop-out, this is Irene's story and how can we stop right when she's been driven out of her passivity? But, as an accident, it gives the author a convenient place to close the narrative, having said what she came to say.
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Interesting, I saw the last tableau differently: Jack frozen across the room, so he would not have pushed Clare. Or even caused her to step back. It seemed to me that Clare
wanted to be found out, getting more reckless about Jack’s whereabouts when she went on her jaunts. Clare didn’t even consider the effect her behavior could have on her child. Irene though, her I imagined right next to Clare, and Brian a few feet away... hence Irene’s worry about Brian when she finds him afterwards, if he might have noticed something Irene did.
The ending was abrupt, and did not pick up the opportunity to get into the race question more. But that might be because of the era it was written.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasyfan
I noticed that Irene makes a reference to the “Rhinelander”case.—-
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Thank you for this info, I’m off to read up