Love in Ian Mcewan's Enduring Love (Essay Example)

Love discussed in the book Enduring Love intertwines with the sense of obsession correlating with several aspects including romance and personal interests such as literature and religion. These obsessions are represented as something that must be tamed by individuals to achieve a sense of happiness, as the characters are incapable of facing feelings that are beyond their control. The struggles the characters face can be analyzed through the meaning and significance of the title, “Enduring Love.” Does it mean to endure love, meaning that they suffer patiently for love? Or does it simply refer to an enduring love that they experience from someone? The double meaning of this title allows us to recognize the relationship between love and obsession as well as what roles they play for the characters and even for me. 

When I first started the book, I thought about the title and believed that the protagonist will suffer from their love, not being able to handle their strong love for another. However, the book depicted the state of being helpless being endured by someone who cannot accept the fact that they are being rejected and the consequences that come with it. This made me think about the connection between obsession and love and how they intertwine in one way or another. The sense of obsession I saw through this book came from every character but towards separate things. Parry’s obsession with Joe and religion, Joe’s obsession with Parry, Clarissa’s obsession with the incapability to have her children and John Keats, and Jean’s obsession with her husband’s death. These are all illustrated as something that has to be constrained for them to feel joy. The idea of having to control an obsession can be very important as it can be seen with the mental effects it has on others and themselves. Parry’s disturbing obsession with Joe is rationalized through his belief in religion and faith, which manipulates him that he is doing a good deed for Joe. This mental illusion he encounters is the result of obsessing over religion and is one of the biggest consequences he experiences. Parry’s letters and his description of being hungry for Joe, show that Joe is enduring love from Parry who doesn’t give up on him. However, this will mean that Parry is experiencing enduring love as he does not receive the love back. This shows the double meaning this title has depending on the perspectives of the characters. Joe’s paranoia coming from his mutual obsession for Parry also conveys this possibility where Joe himself has convinced himself that Parry is smitten with him which took over his daily thoughts. The conflict between Joe’s rationality and the emotions of love and fear brought in by Parry triggers his mental effects. It manages to emphasize how obsession led both of them to madness as well as ruined Joe’s relationship with Clarissa. 

Clarissa’s obsession differs from the previous examples of Parry and Joe. One of Clarissa’s passions is literature which is the love she endures. It allows her to cope with the incident with John Logan. However, another obsession she has is her inability to bear her children. She feels sadness for the loss of her friend’s child’s death just like hers and fears the absence of children. Clarissa is enduring love, her love for children and babies that she is unable to conceive. Jean is an example of someone who goes through a depressive spiral as she fails to trust her love, John Logan. Her accusation towards John was simply the reality that she had created within her because of her obsession with him. This shows the mental illusions that may be caused by obsessions. This lunatic side of love emphasizes how the power of love can be overwhelming to the extent that it eventually could lead to insanity. She proposes the love that needs to be endured as she seeks forgiveness for her false accusations. 

As projected in the book Enduring Love, there it is difficult to understand and identify love and obsession as individuals although there is a clear correlation between the two. Just like how the characters let go of the balloon flying away at different timings, people deal with different levels of love and have different ways to present them. The complexity of this uncontrollable and irresistible feeling of love and obsession that takes over our minds is very common. Even idols become an obsession for some people, and there have been cases where fans cross the line ending up harming their obsession, which is just like Parry’s attempt to harm Joe. Therefore, I feel that the text managed to explore the discomfort that causes people to target their obsession towards another, and the form of the mental condition many characters suffered from. 

Although love, a word that brings joy to many of us may seem different from the word obsession which gives us a frighting image, there is a clear connection between the two. Love causes obsession, and obsession leads to mental corruption as well as physical corruption as people cannot control these feelings anymore. Even with the relatability of love, it exists as a risk for individuals as it is a feeling no one can control. Enduring Love’s depiction of the story of love that is endured and of a love that endures can be complicated as the idea changes as the perspective changes, but the assurance of the danger and consequences it leads people into was portrayed as they create a sense of understanding towards this complex line of love and obsession.