The Sense of an Ending

by

Julian Barnes

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Margaret and Tony’s only daughter, Susie is grown up and married herself by the time Tony begins his story. She is depicted as tolerant toward her father: Tony is mildly offended that she seems to have taken her mother’s side in the divorce, even though Margaret left him. By coming to understand the situation with Adrian’s son, however, Tony comes to appreciate the fact that Susie has been able to live a full, independent life.
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Susie Character Timeline in The Sense of an Ending

The timeline below shows where the character Susie appears in The Sense of an Ending. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
One
Memory, Manipulation, and Self-Deception Theme Icon
History, Narrative, and Truth Theme Icon
Responsibility, Agency, and Guilt Theme Icon
...work in arts administration; he met a coworker, Margaret, married her, and had a daughter, Susie. His first job turned into a long career. He liked his marriage, but was perhaps... (full context)
History, Narrative, and Truth Theme Icon
Responsibility, Agency, and Guilt Theme Icon
Sex, Class, and Power Theme Icon
...tell Margaret about them, though now he wonders if that stemmed from jealousy or self-protection. Susie grew up and married a doctor named Ken: they have two children. Margaret’s second husband... (full context)
Two
History, Narrative, and Truth Theme Icon
Tony gets along well with Susie, though he reflects that younger people no longer feel the need to keep in touch.... (full context)
Memory, Manipulation, and Self-Deception Theme Icon
Responsibility, Agency, and Guilt Theme Icon
...feelings now. In that case he is nostalgic: for his early years with Margaret, for Susie’s childhood, for the road trip with Annie. He wonders if it’s possible to be nostalgic... (full context)
Responsibility, Agency, and Guilt Theme Icon
Tony reflects again on his relationship with Susie, with whom he gets on “fine.” He remembers thinking, after her wedding where he served... (full context)
Memory, Manipulation, and Self-Deception Theme Icon
History, Narrative, and Truth Theme Icon
Responsibility, Agency, and Guilt Theme Icon
...wasn’t such a bad guy to Veronica after all. He has the tendency to call Susie before a five-day holiday, just so that her last memory of him is a pleasant... (full context)
History, Narrative, and Truth Theme Icon
Responsibility, Agency, and Guilt Theme Icon
Sex, Class, and Power Theme Icon
...tells him to go first. He relates the account that he tells himself: Margaret and Susie and his grandchildren, his work and retirement and winter breaks. As he’s describing his grandchildren,... (full context)
Memory, Manipulation, and Self-Deception Theme Icon
Responsibility, Agency, and Guilt Theme Icon
...he feels better or worse after sending it. He begins to think more often of Susie, of his luck in simply having a child that can lead an independent life. (full context)