Struggling with Her Own Character: Sarah Miles's Conflict Between Passion and Matrimony Anonymous 12th Grade

Sarah Miles may have had the façade of a loyal, loving wife, but at night her promiscuous nature was revealed. She became addicted to the covertness of affairs and longed to be embraced as her husband never did. Her desire to have a physical relationship backfired when it turned emotional as well. Sarah’s licentious behavior complicated not only her own life, but also the lives of those around her. In Graham Greene's The End of the Affair, Sarah Miles is greatly affected by her struggle to confront her private passions and assume the role of a loyal wife.

The story begins with Maurice Bendrix professing his hatred for both Sarah and Henry Miles. It soon becomes conspicuous that Bendrix does not actually feel this way about either of them. This rash opinion of the couple is made in light of his affair. . Near the end of his narrative, Bendrix says, “And I thought, hating Sarah is only loving Sarah and hating myself is only loving myself’ (182). Bendrix so bad wanted to hate Sarah, but found that there was too much love to ever accomplish such a feat. With Henry, Bendrix found that he could only hate him for being oblivious. Bendrix and Henry become close in the end and even live together following Sarah’s death. Sarah’s affair...