Enduring love in Jan-Philipp Sendker's "The art of hearing heartbeats"

Heartbeat Love

Enduring Love in the Art of Hearing Heartbeats

This paper deals with the concept of true love as it appears in the novel the Art of Hearing Heartbeats by German author Jan-Philipp Sendker. Different examples are taken from the novel to illustrate the concept of true love, which in the author's opinion is also enduring love -- love that spans years and continents.

The nature of love has been discussed, depicted, and debated by scholars and artists alike since the beginning of recorded history. Love contains many different powerful properties, some of which can seem paradoxical, but though an exact definition remains elusive it can absolutely be recognized when it is encountered. In Jan-Philipp Sendker's novel the Art of Hearing Heartbeats, true and enduring love is depicted in many ways, and becomes instantly recognizable both within the world of the novel and in the external "real" world of the reader. Through this novel, it can be seen that true love is a connection, and empathy, and a need between two people that extends beyond all other needs.

True Love Endures

The connection between Julia Win and her father is the hinge upon which this story turns, and is also one of the ways in which love is evidenced in this novel. When Tin Win suddenly abandons his life and family in New York and appears to return to his native Burma without any warning, explanation or even leaving any word as to his whereabouts. Julia's love for and connection to her father -- though it is mixed with anger and frustration -- is what causes her to seek out her father and his story. The strong connection that draws her closer to her father as she comes to know and understand him better is one example of enduring love in this story, though certainly not the only one this novel embodies.

Interestingly, this novel creates an understanding and awareness of love not only in the novel's characters but also in the novel's readers. The deep empathy exhibited by the characters at various turns is also embedded in the language of the novelist and becomes a part of the world of the reader, as well. Soft yet detailed descriptions of artifacts and emotions change the way the reader thinks, and bring about the knowledge that love requires shared understanding -- which is not the only thing that those in love share.

Beyond a shared understanding, an enduring love is built on a shared need for one another, and this is what truly drives the action of the novel. Though Tin built a life and a family far away from Burma, his enduring love for his youthful sweetheart draws him back to Burma in his autumn years. His need for her is so strong that he sacrifices everything he has built, even the daughter he loves, to search for the woman he left many decades ago. Though this love might lead to some questionable actions, it is unquestionably strong, enduring, and true.

Conclusion