“The Essence of a Symphony is Form”: Exploring the Aesthetics of Silence and Ageing in Julian Barnes’s Fiction

This article presents a comparative analysis of the three works by Julian Barnes, namely Nothing to Be Frightened of (2008), The Sense of an Ending (2011) and Elizabeth Finch (2022), by focusing on the aesthetics of silence and its intricate connections to the experience of ageing, as well as the concepts of remembering and forgetting situated within the broader context of collective memory. Drawing inspiration from Susan Sontag’s “The Aesthetics of Silence,” it delves into the complex relationship between silence and communication as fundamental aspects of human experience. While Sontag posits that silence is something art seeks to control, the analysis proposed in this article revises her perspective, instead embracing Olsson’s argument that conceives of silence as a dynamic discursive force within literary discourse (Olsson). The discussion aims to enrich cultural dialogues surrounding silence, particularly concerning the themes of ageing, positioning it as a crucial element in the delicate interplay between memory and forgetting. Furthermore, it references Astrid Erll’s insightful view that silence acts as a counter-discourse within Memory Studies (Erll, Memory in Culture), suggesting that a deep examination of silence in Barnes’s fiction can illuminate fresh perspectives on the experience of growing older and the complexities of memory. Through this exploration, the article seeks to highlight how silence can resonate powerfully within narratives, offering a profound commentary on the human condition as it relates to collective and personal experiences of time and ageing.