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Book 3, Chapter 5
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The End of the Affair, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Love and Hatred
Faith, Acceptance, and the Divine
Jealousy and Passion
Adultery, Deception, and Honesty
Summary
Analysis
On January 10, 1946 Sarah writes that she walked out into the rain because she couldn’t tolerate being inside. As she walked, Sarah talked to God and remembered that when she asked him to save Maurice, it didn’t matter that she didn’t believe in God; God had still accepted her prayer. While Sarah thought about this, she noted that she could almost feel herself loving God for the first time, and that she “wasn’t afraid of the desert.” When Sarah returned home, she saw Maurice with Henry and realized that it was the second time God had given Maurice back to her.
When Sarah sees Bendrix with Henry, it seems like a reward for how far she’s come on her spiritual journey—she is learning to love God and, in return, God is rewarding her by bring Bendrix back into her life. However, as long as Sarah feels God’s love, she doesn’t feel the same need to return to Bendrix, as shown by her statement that she “wasn’t afraid of the desert” when she thought of her love for God.
Themes
