Sylvia Black Character Analysis in The End of the Affair

Sylvia is the young and beautiful protégé of Peter Waterbury, a literary critic who meets with Bendrix the day of Sarah’s funeral. Bendrix knows Sylvia is looking for a mentor to teach her about writing and publishing novels just by looking at her. Bendrix also knows that he could “get her from [Waterbury]” if he wanted to, meaning that he could seduce her and ruin her relationship with Waterbury. Initially, he does seem ready to “take” Sylvia: he accepts her offer to help him find the cemetery where Sarah’s service is being held, and he even asks her to dinner that night. However, Bendrix realizes that he can’t pretend to really be interested in Sylvia because he’s still in love with Sarah and begins praying to Sarah to help get him out of having to bring her to dinner. Coincidentally, after this prayer Mrs. Bertram comes up to Bendrix, and he jumps on the opportunity to tell Sylvia that he can’t take her out to dinner after all because he must accompany Mrs. Bertram.

Sylvia Black Quotes in The End of the Affair

The The End of the Affair quotes below are all either spoken by Sylvia Black or refer to Sylvia Black. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).

Hate lay like boredom over the evening ahead. I had committed myself: without love I would have to go through the gestures of love. I felt the guilt before I had committed the crime, the crime of drawing the innocent into my own maze. The act of sex may be nothing, but when you reach my age you learn that at any time it may prove to be everything. I was safe, but who could tell to what neurosis in this child I might appeal? […] I implored Sarah, Get me out of this, get me out of it, for her sake, not mine.

Related Characters: Maurice Bendrix (speaker), Sarah Miles, Sylvia Black

Page Number and Citation: 131-132

Explanation and Analysis:

Sylvia Black Quotes in The End of the Affair

The The End of the Affair quotes below are all either spoken by Sylvia Black or refer to Sylvia Black. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).

Hate lay like boredom over the evening ahead. I had committed myself: without love I would have to go through the gestures of love. I felt the guilt before I had committed the crime, the crime of drawing the innocent into my own maze. The act of sex may be nothing, but when you reach my age you learn that at any time it may prove to be everything. I was safe, but who could tell to what neurosis in this child I might appeal? […] I implored Sarah, Get me out of this, get me out of it, for her sake, not mine.

Related Characters: Maurice Bendrix (speaker), Sarah Miles, Sylvia Black

Page Number and Citation: 131-132

Explanation and Analysis:

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Sylvia Black Character Analysis

Sylvia Black Quotes in The End of the Affair

Sylvia Black Quotes in The End of the Affair

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