The conclusion of Dowell's narrative offers not a resolution, so much as a plangent confirmation of complexities. While Ford would certainly have agreed with Dowell that it is a novelist's business to make a reader 'see things clearly', his interest in clarity had little to do with simplicity. There is no 'getting to the bottom of things', no triumphant answers to the epistemological muddle offered in this beautiful, bleak story - only a finer appreciation of that confusion. We may remove the scales from our eyes, Ford suggests, but only the better to appreciate the glass through which we see darkly.
Dowell's story ends not with a clear resolution, but with a recognition of life's complexities and ambiguities. Ford agreed with Dowell that fiction aims to help readers understand things, but his idea of clarity does not equate to simplicity. Instead, Ford's work emphasizes embracing the confusion and nuances of human experience rather than seeking definitive answers.
According to Ford, removing illusions does not necessarily lead to clarity; it might only deepen our awareness of the obscured view through which we perceive reality. The story underscores that understanding is often about appreciating the darkness and uncertainty rather than dispelling it entirely.
