On Chesil Beach: Analyse and Discuss

[teacher]

Think about your recent experience of reader of On Chesil Beach. Watch the video.
Analyse the link and discuss if and why a young guy should or should not read the novel. Before carrying out your task, consider the points of view from Customer Discussions
1 ; 2 ; 3 .

[teacher]

Well, first of all I really like the image.
To speak her mind is Florence's problem. Why is it so difficult to express oneself I wonder.
Is this Florence's problem only or is it also our own. I am no that sure.
"I'm not so sure this is such a miserable story as it is frustrating". i, too am not sure this isn't a story about love. I do think the two young guys loved each other the fact is that not speaking their minds for such a long time opened a gulf between them like the one in Chesil Beach.
That is the sense of the title in my opinion" For much of its length it is separated from the mainland by an area of saline water called the Fleet Lagoon.


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[TTurco]

I think that a young guy should read this book because it deals with actual problems: the problem of taboos, the incomunicabitiy between guys, the relationship's problem.
even if we don't identify ourselves with the two main characters, some aspects and behaviours are common in us.
FLorence's problem with her mother is a real problem of our age, the incomunicabilty with our parent's is common in many guys.
Edward's unabitity to express his feelings is also an actual problem.
even if the characters live in the past, they are not so distant from our problems and we should understand this, reading the novel.

[FFontana]

I think that "On Chesil Beach" suits with adolescent's problems: every guy can identify with Edward or Florence and compare himself/herself with their behaviours.

But I also think that Edward's and Florence's relationship and the end of it isn't an example for young people. As a matter of fact they haven't a relationship: they got married without expressing feelings and fears to the one they love. When they at last express themselves to each other they are unable to solve their problems together and leave each other.

So even if the book can be interesting for young people, I think it isn't realistic.

[GLAllegro]

I think that young guys of my period can read this novel, because it treats problems of our time.
Instead it speaks about difficult relationships between parents, friends and lovers.
All have comunication's problems with parents as Florence and almost all have problems to express our feelings to our boyfriend or girlfriend as Edward.
So I think that guys of my generation can read this novel, because the reader can make questions about this arguments.

[SCallegaro]

I think a young guy should read the novel, because On Chesil Beach is about actual problems and it is not only connected to sixties. The most important problem of the novel is not communication. There is not speech between Florence and her mother. In communication between parents and sons, because you are not able to understand the other. Also in communication with friends, because they are not able to advise you. Besides there is not speech between Florence and Edward and it is connected to sex. Edward is a common young that wants to have a sexual approach with his girlfriend. While Florence is shocked by the rape and she feels disgusting about sex. Although she loves him she is not able to have a dialogue about sex and she is not able to have sex. Therefore their relation ship is not common, because when you love someone partner is not only lover, but also friend, so you want to communicate about yourself. Probably their love is not strong as would be. This is their problem, but…Why is not able to understand Edward Florence’s refused? Edward is focused on his sexual satisfaction and on himself. He is therefore selfish. There is another problem: the rape. Today there are many rapes that are not denounced, Florence’s rape is another. These women are afraid and feel ashamed and they do not tell the violence.
Besides the short story happens on Chesil Beach. It has more means: the form of the beach remembers the form of a penis and the marine scenery is metaphor of interiority. Besides the silence that is around the beach remembers the in communication.

[GRivetti]

I think that guys of my age can read this novel, but they should do it using a guidebook, because, otherwise, they risk to concentrate their attention on the first level of reading only, loosing the authentic and deep message of the novel: there are a lot of interesting topics in it, like “taboos” and “incommunicability” that a guy can update and use to reflect.
I think that if the novel is read with the correct indications, it could be very useful for guys.
As for the novel, my opinion is that (as some customers said) the end is inconsistent with the begin because two newlywed can’t renounce to their marriage so easily and quickly, if they really love each other!
When you love someone, you can’t be so proud and egoist.

[LFerigutti]

I think the novel deals with a very important problem: communication. In a time like ours, when communication is very quick and immediate thanks to mobile phones and internet it is an understimated difficulty. I think McEwan set his short story in the sixties because they represent an era of novelty and change, creating a sort of paradox in front of Edward and Florence's taboos. I think young people should read the novel because it could make them reflect on the importance of a wide communinication to make a relationship successfull and rich.

[GBianchin]

Young people should read “On Chesil Beach”. The problem is that it’s difficult to focus the attention on the short story real topics, because it seems that Florence and Edward’s main problem is to have sex. On the contrary If you analyze the text guided by the teacher, you understand the real purpose of the writer.
McEwan emphasises the situation created in the book to underline what is the result of communication absence. Edward and Florence have got a lot of problems, blows, taboos and complexes because they are the example of every postmodern person. Everyone could identify him/herself with one of Edward or Florence’s behaviours, experiences or feelings.
As a conclusion, it’s good to read “On Chesil Beach” even if it is hard because it makes you reflect and it helps you reading other contemporary books. If you understand how to work on a novel, you are able to read others.

[SRegolin]

I think the novel should be read by young people.
As a matter of fact, not only teenagers can identify theirselves in the protagonists because of the lack of self-confidence in comparing with partners and because of the fears of intimacy; but one can also learn what lack of communication gives rise to, reading how Edward and Florence's put an end to their relationship.

[ERegeni]

I think young people can read that novel, because it deals with young problems, like sex and communication between two lovers. When you are young you are afraid to show tour fears, your doubts, your inexperience, your nature. So you try to hide youself and you avoid affronting your problems with communication and dialogue. So the greatness of problems puts on weight until explosion. It is a novel that conveys the importance of the acceptation of yourself and the dialogue.

[ALZanchin]

The importance of communication is the main topic convayed by MC Ewan in 'on Chesil Beach'. I think is important to read On Chesil Beach because of his modernity, it deals with today's problems, in spite it is set in the sixties. the novel can make young people reflect on the importance of communication, which is a real problem in the current postmodernism.

[EPriano]

From reading the novel I dislike it, because of it conveys a sense of anxiety caused by Florence and Edward’s feelings, doubts and incomprehension, but especially caused by the shift of the point of view that makes the reader able to identify himself/herself with the protagonists.
On the other side I think this is an original story, wrote in order to convey a message.
As a consequence I suggest young people to read this book . As a matter of fact, apart from the story, I appreciated it only when I discovered the real message of the novel. So from a first lecture the reader reads a novel that seems to be a common tragic love story, but going deeply into the events he/ she realizes that the story is only a way to discuss about present problems that influence humans life.
The most relevant problem that comes to surface is the lake of dialogue and relationships not only between lover, but also between husband and wife, between parents and sons or daughters, between friends or companion.
So I invite young people not to have prejudice, basing only on the plot, but to read the book trying to catch the connotative meanings of the story, create through narrative techniques: the language, rhetorical features, atmosphere,
As a concerned the other comments on “On Chesil Beach” I agree with the idea that the portraits of the two lovers make the novel a Harlequin novel. It is unbelievable Edward and Florence would part after their wedding night. But, as I have just told, McEwan creates a sense of incredulity to fix the message in the readers’ mind. As an example the wedding’s end reveals a transformation in Edward. At the end he was conscious and realized the problem was the inability to speak clearly each other. On the contrary Florence, who lives in a well of life with more possibility to be free, was not able to learn about her mistakes and to grow up.
So if young people decide to read this book, I suggest them to get deeply into the reading not to remain on the story’s surface, that is to say Edward and Florence’s tragic love story.

[teacher]

I disagree with Mcnaughton’ statement it's particulary bleak of the author to draw such an engaging and thoughtful portrait of two people truly in love only to scuttle it; I also don’t enjoy that love complexity is dealt through a tragic experience, but it is only a personal taste: actually Florence’s and Edward’s experience is realistic and it is useful to deal with the effects that miscomprehension may provoke: I think it is a considerable teaching and an invitation to be frank. Moreover I also think, like Snodge, that Florence and Edward don’t relay love each other, or better, at the beginning their feelings are sincere, but after a while they use the words “I love you” to mask their real thoughts: it follows that they don’t know each other that well. As a result their fast decision to divorce is comprehensible: it isn’t the result of a single momentary incident shaping the future tragically, but it is the top of a long incorrect process of silence and playacting that has spoiled the relationship roots.
The final part of the novel – in particular the dialogue – seems functional to show Florence’s difficulty and mistakes as the substantial elements that have led to the failure: it follows that readers are mostly convinced by Edward’s words and adopt his point of view on the event; actually you have to consider Florence’s childhood and negative familiar situation, moreover Edward’s constant desire of sex, frequently lacking a deep feeling. Lamia is therefore right when she doesn’t think it is unbelievable that a woman would experience the feelings that Florence did and that it is unimaginable that love would collapse, under these conditions; however Florence’s strong aversion to sex isn’t sufficient to justify the marriage failure: if it had been the only reason, they would have spoken after that.
Florence’s and Edward’s loss of their relationship – full of promises – and their future inability to find and realize a true love experience may have been established by McEwan to persuade readers living true relationships with lovers is rather impossible: it is disillusioning, but can’t be defined horror: simply it shows how much difficulties and tests love employs.

After her first failing matrimonial experience Florence goes on in living her sexual difficulty and doesn’t try to overcome it, remaining a little childlike, while Edward tries to build new relationships, he is deeply marked by failures and he is aware of what life actually implies.
However Florence achieves her aim, follows her dream of a well-known musician, thanks to her perseverance and ambition: she isn’t affected negatively by the marriage failure and she overcomes her sense of guilt; she engages in finding an alternative life to marriage, after recognizing she can’t hope in a future ideal solution, she begins to accept her difficulty and its consequences. She seems to come free after divorce and to realize her deep inclination.
On the contrary Edward loses self-trust and all ambitions: he doesn’t become an historian, but turns down to some working experiences concerning music. He probably becomes mature, adult and aware of existence, but hasn’t got occasions to employ his knowledge in order to build the future he desires: he is weak from this point of view. Why didn’t Edward call her up during the swinging 60’s? Because he remains attached to past delusion and remorse.

After a first superficial reading the novel doesn’t appear adequate to a young guy, because the reader is mainly struck by sequences about sexual intercourse between the protagonists. However, after considering all themes, meanings and messages conveyed by the novelist, I think the book is fit for youth because it leads the reader in becoming awareness of different matters, not only particular and connected to the cultural background of the novel setting, but also suitable to every time reader, because of some universal aspect; moreover narrative techniques and language provide deep characterization letting readers discover process of mind and build aware judgements on the events: it is therefore useful to develop critical ability.

[GLAllegro]

There are some criticisms of Ian McEwan's novel: some guys assert that he is a little chauvinist, because Florence has more problems than Edward and she was also raped by her father. Other guys say that it is a good scenary, but the protaginists are false; and others says that Ian McEwan is too much catastrophic and that the truth love exsists.
I think that probably the protagonist are a little false. Maybe i cannot immage two young so strange.