Bendrix, not Sarah: Transfiguration vs. Apotheosis

Abstract

Though The End of the Affair brings Sarah’s name to the forefront, it is Bendrix’s character that makes her more fascinating for the readers. Sarah’s sainthood evolves out of Bendrix’s insatiable love for her. For Sarah’s journey towards divinity, Bendrix proves the first and last ladder. His radiating and jealous love for Sarah remains alive even after her death. It is he who suffers in Sarah’s love before and after her death. He seems to be paying the cost of Sarah’s divinity. As his object of love is not around so he has to express his love for Sarah in hate and jealousy against God. There is no hypocrisy in Bendrix since he confesses openly what he feels and why he feels so. This paper presents a deconstruction of Bendrix’s character in order to validate our point that Sarah wins divinity at the cost of Bendrix’s suffering. His love, jealousy and hatred foreground the sainthood of Sarah.