Explore the Relation Between Stephen and Isabelle in Birdsong.

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Explore the relationship between Stephen and Isabelle. Sebastian Faulks portrays the relationship between Stephen and Isabelle in a variety of ways. He starts with how Stephen sees Isabelle at first before putting the feelings of Isabelle into the book. He makes it apparent that Stephen has feelings for Isabelle and that there will be a relationship to follow. Both the Characters both have a similarity of that they were not loved properly as children. This gives them both a great need to be loved by someone who truly loves them. The relationship is important as if it was not, then they would have not carried out the adultery. When we are first introduced to Isabelle we only know that she is called Madame Azaire because Azaire calls her “my wife”. This makes the reader feel as though Monsieur Azaire does not respect his wife because he does not call her by her name. The first time Stephen and Isabelle communicate with each other is when her step son, Gregoire, asks Stephen the question “How old are you?” to which Isabelle shouts Gregoire’s name. This makes Isabelle seem as though she likes things to be done properly and for each person to know their place in society. Faulks has done this to help the reader but also Stephen so that they can start to see what Isabelle’s character is like. Faulks reveals a significant aspect of the Azaires’ marriage when Stephen hears her being beaten by Azaire. Stephen begins to reveal his feelings for her through his impulse to protect her with “his hands no longer raised cautiously in front of him but tensed into fists by his ribs.” This shows that even though they have hardly spoken and are barely acquainted, he feels as though he has a duty to protect her. Stephen shows his deepening feelings for Isabelle in his notebook when he refers to her as a “Pulse.” Faulks may be suggesting that Stephen is starting to fall in love with
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