His anger stirred her own and she suddenly thought she understood their problem: they were too polite, too constrained, too timorous, they went around each other on tiptoes, murmuring, whispering, deferring, agreeing. They barely knew each other and never could because of the blanket of companionable near-silence that smothered their differences and blinded them as much as it bound them.
In Ian McEwan's "On Chesil Beach," the characters' relationship is marked by a pervasive politeness that hinders genuine connection. Their interactions are characterized by caution and reluctance, creating a barrier that prevents them from truly understanding one another. This overly restrained behavior manifests in whispers and deference, resulting in a lack of depth in their acquaintance.
Their mutual avoidance of confrontation leads to a blanket of silence that conceals their differences, ultimately suffocating the potential for intimacy. As a result, they remain strangers to each other, trapped in a cycle of politeness that both unites and isolates them. This dynamic highlights the complexities of relationships, where fear of conflict can prevent meaningful engagement.
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