IN CLOSING,

I would like to share some thoughts on the ending of our class, but first I would like to explore some possibilities presented by my fellow students. Within their papers, both Zach and Sam explore how the most re-occurring term of this class (I don't think I need to say what that that is...), is what makes The Magus such an enthralling novel. The situations the protagonist finds himself in are disguised as mysterious events, yet we we have found ourselves in the exact same circumstances at one point or another. Metaphorically speaking, this book transforms into a mirror, and enables the reader to look at themselves for the first time.


I agree with Zach's thesis; John Fowles successfully captures the attention of the reader because of the stereotypical relationships in which he places his protagonist. Throughout the novel, Nicholas engages in the roles of both puppet and puppeteer. In the beginning, Nicholas plays Alison, in the middle, Conchis plays Nicholas, in the end Nicholas is shown what he has done.

I found that the ending of The Magus served as a prompt to the reader to reflect upon the lessons that Nicholas learned (or didn't), and from that point to reflect upon what their own relationships have (or have not) taught them. Many people expressed discontent at the end of this novel, but eventually I have come to appreciate its open ended nature. If it had a defined ending, I most likely would have thought about what a nice book it was, and then placed it on the shelf without further thought. However, the possibilities presented by lack of explanation keep me thinking about what could and could not have been.

I have never studied mythology before, but in some ways I already have. All mythological stories are predictable, because they have already happened, are happening, and are going to happen all at the same time. Mythology is omnipresent. It fills every available space of the human conscious. It arrives suddenly, possesses, and then is gone again.  They may appear as foreign objects, but these stories are the foundation of who we are. It is where we are, where we have been, and where we are going.

Thank you Dr. Sexson, for bringing me into the enlightening world of myth.