Ann Gray's concept of knowability with reference to 'The Sense of an Ending'

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University Bhavnagar

Smt. S. B. Guardy Department of English

Written by: Poojaba G. Jadeja
Roll No.: 20

Year: 2015, Semester: 4th

Paper:10: The New Literature

Ann Gray’s concept of knowability

 with reference to The Sense of an Ending

Introduction:

Ann Gray in ‘Research Practice for Cultural studies’ (2003) elaborates three fundamental research questions that structure any research project.

1. What is there that can be known – what is knowable?

2. What is the relation of the knower to the known?

3. How do we find things out? 

A brief about The Sense of an Ending:

It is a novel, written by Julian Barnes. The Man Booker Prize winner novel is famous for its post-modern narrative technique, as memory novel and psychological thriller.

The story is of an old man Tony Webster, narrator, who tries to revisit his past and solve some of unsolved mysteries. His quest for getting knowledge about his friend – Adrian’s suicide and other characters lives can be elaborated with concept of knowability and three methodological questions. 

To get more idea about book, visit this small animated video of summery...

What is there that can be known – what is knowable?

This is an ontological question, it refers to the aspect of social reality to be studied, but it also deals with assumptions we are willing to make about the nature of reality. It requires you to take a position in relation to your project and to define your ‘knowable space’. How you construct your knowable space and how you go about exploring and investigating that knowable space will depend upon your theoretical approach to the social world and the actors

or texts involved. (Gray)

With reference to The Sense of an Ending

Illustrations from the text:

The novel describes journey or quest of getting knowledge of Tony Webster, who didn’t get, who never get properly!! The narrator tells his story and all the incidents with his memory and tries to evaluate past, and with that he also tries to get knowledge.

For Tony ‘Knowable’ is not only to know the reason of Adrian’s suicide or his diary or about Veronica but also to know about his own life, to illustrate his own memory and self examine, why he is not getting or what is problem with him.

As it is mentioned in explanation that,

“…it also deals with assumptions we are willing to make about the nature of reality…”

Here Tony, while in the process of getting knowledge, assumes many things at different stages.

For example: after part one, he is in assumption that ‘he knows’ all the things. After getting letter, he supposes that he now knows about Veronica and Adrian. After watching Adrian’s son, he becomes very sure that now he knows all the things… 

His all assumptions are constructed. With these stages, constructed knowledge, he didn’t get, or reach to true knowledge. With these stages his ‘knowable space’ is also changing and moving.

“How you construct your knowable space and how you go about exploring and investigating that knowable space will depend upon your theoretical approach…”

Tony does not stop with his assumptions (like Silas in Da Vinci Code). His one of the knowable space is “himself”. And one of the reasons of his keep investigating and processing towards knowledge, ignoring his assumptions, is his “self” as knowable space and his approach towards other events like Veronica’s words “you still don’t get it…” or other characters’ attitude towards him and his own memory, who tells him as he is not able to get sense.

Because of some incidences, he comes to know that whatever he believes is his assumptions and he proceed further. He decides his ‘knowable space’ with illustrating and investigating. He keeps on trying to reach true knowledge with his approach of investigating like going into several pubs and shops several times, ignoring his believed, constructed assumptions. 

What is the relation of the knower to the known?  

epistemological question and, put simply, asks how we know what we know. The assumptions that are made about this depend on how we perceive of the reality, and, although Guba does not suggest this, how we are located as subjects within our research. What we bring to our work, how our own knowledge and experience is brought to bear on the research itself will certainly shape it.

It is important to make these explicit. The point about who we are and how we relate to the project itself is a key issue. (Gray)

Illustrations from the text:

Relationship between knower and known is very important to evaluate. In the novel, Tony tells his own experiences with his memory. He is in self search and also in search of reasons and relations of other characters’ life.

In this process of knowing, Tony’s relationship is with self. He is insider. In his attempts of knowing anything his self becomes barrier. For example, his memory, a mirror or self projection always distract him.

He knows that Adrian and Veronica have relationship after his break up with her and, he also came to know from his friend that Adrian was happy and in love before his death. With these two statements, he makes an assumption that the reason for Adrian’s death or before his death he is in love with Veronica.

Only because of his partial memory, he cannot know that Adrian has relationship with Mr. Sarah Ford. As he is subjective and inside his memory and assumptions, he cannot know the things clearly.

All the time, he gets true knowledge from outside. Like, he comes to know about his cruel letter when it is given by Veronica.

He can know himself when Margaret communicates with him. Even he gets the “Knowledge” about young Adrian when other person Terry tells him that “Mary is not his mother, but sister…”

So, when ‘he is in his own’, he cannot reach to the knowledge. Even when he assumes that the young Adrian is son of Adrian and Veronica, if Veronica did not tell him “You still don’t get…” perhaps he can never reach to his knowledge.

Thus, in Tony’s case the relationship is self with self and self itself becomes barrier of knowledge. And whenever Tony becomes objective, he gets knowledge from outside and reach where he wants to…

So, his view is from inside and he perceives reality from outside. With ignoring his assumptions, he shapes his way to get knowledge from outside.

How do we find things out? Or What is the procedure of knowledge?

This is methodological questions. What kind of methods must I employ in order to know, or to put me in a position of being able to interpret and analyse this aspect of the social world? This, then, is where one can begin to think about the kinds of data we need and how to gather it in order to begin to explore research questions. (Gray)

 Illustrations from the text:

With example of both chapters and narrative style, we can say, Tony always tries to aware readers that, whatever he is telling is not hundred percent true but it is what he remembers. Tony, in his narration, goes on deconstructing his own words. He even accepts that what he said is not trustworthy but with his own cast of mind. Some of beautiful quotes in the novel suggest this thing clearly.

One of the way, to get knowledge of Tony, is to become out of own self. At some stage, he accepts that, “he is not getting sense” means he knows that still he has to work hard to get knowledge (not like Silas or Fache in Da Vinci Code).

Though he constructed many assumptions in his case, from outside, he is also getting some kind of hints or knowledge which proves that he is not getting properly. So, he is not in blindness, but he keeps trying.

At every stage, he comes to know from outside. He knows his relationship with known and also barriers of his knowledge. So, he tries to be objective from subjective. He rejects his assumptions and accepts hints from outside with being objective.

He doubts his statements and tries to think the way knowledge comes to him from outside. In Tony’s procedure of knowledge, knowledge dawn upon him from outside, from other characters, after his several attempts.

Throughout the novel, everyone tries to give him hints or signs. Though he has inability to understand signs, which are in front of his eyes, and get the ‘sense’, he can reach to knowledge because of his ability to accept his inabilities, and to become objective with knowing his own self. He knows his barrier of his knowledge and tries to go beyond it, to overcome it.

Conclusion:

Thus, Tony’s journey to his knowable space is going on expanding in the second part and he tries to overcome from his subjective relationship with his self.

In the novel, Tony, the narrator’s quest for knowledge is interesting and amazing, and worthy to study. It becomes very exiting end when Tony meets with his knowledge and gets “his sense” after long journey.

Bibliography

Gray, Ann. Research Practice for Cultural studies. (2003) .

Barnes, Julian. The Sense of an Ending (2011)