Cristina Coma Bosch

NIUB: 20394603

Unveiling Identity: An Analysis of Memory in Piranesi and The Sense of an Ending

Memory is a topic widely addressed within contemporary literature, considering that it

serves as a tool to delve into the past experiences of the characters, which shape their
identity and perception of reality. Nevertheless, memory can be faulty, and it can be
distorted or completely absent, complicating the understanding of oneself and the
surrounding world. This is what happens in the novels Piranesi (2020) by Susanna Clarke
and The Sense of an Ending (2011) by Julian Barnes, where memory plays a central role
in shaping the narrative and providing a lens through which to examine and re-consider
broader issues about identity, perception of the world, and the nature of reality. In this
essay, taking into account the perspectives of Julie A. Dias’ thesis The Good, the Bad and
the Madness – An investigation of the double narrative and subjectivity in Piranesi and
YOU (2023), and Oliver Paynel’s paper Serious about being serious: History and the
Claims of Memory in Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending (2014), it will be deeply
analysed the ways in which each author portrays and explores memory in their respective
works, considering its importance in plot configuration, character development, and
thematic exploration. Moreover, it will also be analysed the way in which the different
narrative approaches of Clarke and Barnes contribute to the understanding of memory as
a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, obtaining a deeper insight into how literature
can help the knowledge and self-discovery of oneself and the world around.

In Piranesi, memory is a highly significant factor to understand the lack of identity of the
protagonist and his consequent research about his past and who he truly is. In this way,
Clarke takes the reader into an intriguing labyrinth where the memory and the identity of
the protagonist are intertwined in a deeply moving and mysterious narrative. From the
very beginning of the novel, when Piranesi is introduced, as well as the fantastic and
enigmatic world he inhabits with the immense house of endless halls and corridors, his
memory is presented as limited and fragmented, as he has no memory of his past or even
of how exactly he arrived at the House. This amnesia and struggle of memory, as Julie A.
Dias (2023) discusses in her thesis, is closely linked to a past trauma, being the cause of
the disruption of his memory and affecting his sense of self and identity. Thus, as the
narrative progresses, Piranesi's memory comes to the forefront as, through the exploration
of his journals and messages left by 16, he begins to reveal, both to himself and to the
reader, how his past, his memory, and his identity have been manipulated by the Other,
thus beginning a journey of self-exploration and discovery of his own identity through
the unveiling of past memories. In this way, Dias (2023) highlights the protagonist's
struggle to reconstruct his identity through fragments of scattered memories. Clarke
proposes a narrative structured in an epistolary manner, mainly through Piranesi's
journals, which allows the reader to enter the mind of the protagonist, as he tries to make
sense, through his reading and research on them, of his surroundings and his own
existence. The author, moreover, masterfully uses the themes of the labyrinth and the
double to explore the mind and subjectivity of the protagonist, and to reveal the disturbing
effects of trauma on his memory and sense of self, revealing, on a broader level, the
complexities of human identity and perception in relation to trauma, and the consequent
distress of memories of the past. Furthermore, Piranesi's journals serve not only as a
record of his experiences, but also as a crucial tool for his understanding and healing from
the trauma he has endured. The protagonist not only discovers the truth about his identity,
but also becomes aware of the nature of the House and the Other. This knowledge allows
him to make informed decisions about his future and his relationship to the world around
him. Although he ultimately chooses to stay in the House, he does so with a new
understanding of himself and his past, integrating his identity as Matthew and his life as
Piranesi into a single, cohesive one.

In The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, memory is also presented as a fundamental

element that influences the perception of the past by the protagonist Tony Webster, who
reflects on his youth, the events that marked his life, and his relationships with friends
such as Adrian or Veronica. From the first lines of the novel the reader is warned that
memory is faulty, and it is not a reliable tool to explore the past, “[...] what you end up
remembering isn’t always the same as what you have witnessed” (Barnes, 2011, p.3).
Nonetheless, the reader believes the version of events recounted by the protagonist within
the first part of the novel, in view of the fact that only one version is provided, and this
prompts credibility and reliability. In this way, the narrative is built around Tony's
memory and on his recalls of his past that will end up being distorted. Tony's need to place
his memories within a chronological time frame is a recurring theme throughout the
novel. Oliver Paynel (2014), in his analysis, highlights how the protagonist seeks to make
sense of his past by reconstructing his memories in a coherent temporal sequence. This
search for order and coherence reveals the importance Tony attaches to historical accuracy
and objectivity in the construction of his own personal history. Nevertheless, in the second
part of the novel, when Adrian’s diary is revealed, Tony's entire past and memories are
disturbed, losing full control of the narrative, and being forced to face the reality that his
version of past events narrated and even his own memories have been incomplete and
modified in his favor to such an extent that he himself believed them to be authentic. In
this way, Tony's memory is presented as selective and subjective, and this subjectivity
becomes a narrative tool that allows Barnes to explore other themes such as responsibility
and culpability, as Tony, in recalling the truth of the events of his youth, is confronted
with the possibility that his actions may have had a much greater impact than he had
imagined, and that this may be the reason why his mind decided to omit and manipulate
aspects of his past events in order to avoid facing the consequences of his actions.
Furthermore, this approach to selective memory helps the author question the reliability
of memories, the way in which they can be influenced and distorted by our emotions and
desires, and the extent to which they affect our understanding of the past and our identity.
The re-evaluation of the protagonist’s past not only changes his perception of the events
and people involved, but also leads him to a new understanding of himself. This
introspection is central to the development of the character and to the resolution of the
narrative.

Therefore, in both Piranesi and The Sense of an Ending, memory is presented as a central
theme that has a strong effect on the narrative, on the characters’ development, and on the
broader exploration of other topics. Nonetheless, each author’s approach to memory in
the novels is different and unique, providing a singular viewpoint on the nature of memory
and its impact on human life. Both novels effectively use memory to explore themes of
identity, perception and reality. While Clarke's Piranesi uses a fantastical metaphorical
narrative to show how memory can be manipulated and recovered and reveal the
disturbing impact of trauma on one's identity, Barnes' The Sense of an Ending adopts more
realistic methods and psychology to examine the selectivity and subjectivity of memory.
Memory is also crucial in the development of the characters in both novels. In Piranesi,
the trauma and the manipulation of the protagonist's past and memory completely restricts
his understanding of himself and his environment, and as he recovers his memories and
builds his own identity, Piranesi undergoes a significant process of self-discovery, which
is essential to his development as a character. On the other hand, in The Sense of an
Ending, the selective and subjective memory of Tony Webster allows him to maintain a
simplified and justified view of his past. Nonetheless, when he faces the new revelations
and must reevaluate his memories, Tony undergoes a profound transformation and
development that leads him to a more accurate and complex understanding of himself and
his actions. Moreover, the different narrative structures employed by the authors of both
novels contribute to the reader's comprehension of memory as an intricate and
multifaceted aspect of human nature. In Clarke’s novel, the epistolary narrative allows
the reader to immerse themselves in the mind of the protagonist, sharing his disorientation
and discoveries as he regains his memories. In contrast, in Barnes’ work, the employment
of the first-person retrospective narration allows the protagonist to reflect on his past and
reevaluate, at the same time as the reader, his life and relationships, realizing the
complexity and limitations of memory.

To conclude, the novels of Piranesi and The Sense of an Ending, both revolve around the
topic of memory, and its exploration reveals the depths and complexities of this
fundamental theme in contemporary literature. By analysing both novels and the authors’
approach to the issue of memory, it can be observed that it is used as a narrative device
not just to shape the narrative around the topic, but also to contribute to character
development and to explore broader topics such as self-identity or the perception of reality
and its distortions. In Piranesi, Clarke immerses the reader in a narrative of fantasy with
fragmented memories because of a past trauma, using an epistolary narrative structure to
explore the narrator's mind and his struggle to reconstruct his identity through his diary.
In The Sense of an Ending, Barnes offers a deep consideration of the nature of memory
through the character of Tony Weber, and encourages the audience to question and re-
consider the reliability of memory and its capacity to shape the understanding of oneself
and one’s surroundings. In this way, Piranesi and The Sense of an Ending propose two
unique perspectives and approaches of memory and its role in the shaping of one’s
identity. Through their own explorations, both authors encourage the reader to meditate
on the nature of memory and its influence on one’s past and present, demonstrating the
power of literature to address complex and universal matters.
REFERENCES

Primary sources:

Barnes, J. (2011). The Sense of an Ending. Vintage Books. London.

Clarke, S. (2021). Piranesi. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc [Virtual Edition]

Secondary sources:

Dias, J, A. (2023). The Good, the Bad and the Madness – An investigation of the double
narrative and subjectivity in Piranesi (2021) and YOU (2014)
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3075063

Paynel, O. (2014). Serious about being serious: History and the Claims of Memory in
Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending. [Virtual Campus]