For this paper, I aim to analyze the character of Sarah Miles on her journey to faith. Her character is a good canvass to discuss the concepts of Marcel and his notion of God and authentic faith.
The End of the Affair tells the story of Sarah Miles, a civil servant’s wife, who starts a five-year affair with Maurice Bendrix, a prominent writer. During the span of five-years, Sarah begins to question the morality of the affair and her fidelity to her husband Henry. She tries to rationalize the affair by telling herself that Henry does not love her and that there is no God to condemn her. Set in war-time London, a bomb suddenly hits the house where Sarah and Bendrix are staying. Bendrix was caught in the rubble and Sarah was certain that in that moment, Bendrix was dead. Out of desperation, she prays to God and makes a sincere promise that if Bendrix somehow survives, she would break off the affair and never see him again. Miraculously, Bendrix walked up to her as if he never died. Sarah was stunned. At that very moment, she is set on keeping the promise she made with God. Months following the event, Sarah becomes depressed. In an effort to appease her suffering, she tries to convince herself that God does not exist – and thus, she need not keep her promise. …show more content…
As illustrated by her husband’s collections in the study, Henry is the kind of man who feel a sense of security in simply having Sarah around, but is not really able to satisfy Sarah’s desire for an all-consuming, passionate love. Sarah feels guilty because she cannot force herself to love Henry and this has lead her to believe that she is a “bitch” and a “fake”. Because of her guilt, she has felt unworthy of Henry’s affections and thus, allowing herself to engage in an affair with another man. Sarah recognizes that she has a “cowardly need… of not being alone” as quoted
The End of the Affair tells the story of Sarah Miles, a civil servant’s wife, who starts a five-year affair with Maurice Bendrix, a prominent writer. During the span of five-years, Sarah begins to question the morality of the affair and her fidelity to her husband Henry. She tries to rationalize the affair by telling herself that Henry does not love her and that there is no God to condemn her. Set in war-time London, a bomb suddenly hits the house where Sarah and Bendrix are staying. Bendrix was caught in the rubble and Sarah was certain that in that moment, Bendrix was dead. Out of desperation, she prays to God and makes a sincere promise that if Bendrix somehow survives, she would break off the affair and never see him again. Miraculously, Bendrix walked up to her as if he never died. Sarah was stunned. At that very moment, she is set on keeping the promise she made with God. Months following the event, Sarah becomes depressed. In an effort to appease her suffering, she tries to convince herself that God does not exist – and thus, she need not keep her promise. …show more content…
As illustrated by her husband’s collections in the study, Henry is the kind of man who feel a sense of security in simply having Sarah around, but is not really able to satisfy Sarah’s desire for an all-consuming, passionate love. Sarah feels guilty because she cannot force herself to love Henry and this has lead her to believe that she is a “bitch” and a “fake”. Because of her guilt, she has felt unworthy of Henry’s affections and thus, allowing herself to engage in an affair with another man. Sarah recognizes that she has a “cowardly need… of not being alone” as quoted