MovieChat Forums > A Handful of Dust (1988) Discussion > Question about Brenda's ending -spoilers...

Question about Brenda's ending -spoilers-

posted 15 years ago by circus14
7 replies | jump to latest

I haven't read the book but I was wondering whether Brenda ends up with Jock in the end. They are together in the funeral and when Tony's cousin asks them to stay Brenda says Jock has to return to London for work, and I think there is a moment where Jock places his hand on her shoulder. Now of course those might be perfectly natural and irrelevant but I was wondering whether these details were put in to allude to something.

It seemed very strange to me that Jock would want to be with Brenda as he knew her and her weaknesses so well but that would be perhaps the fulfillment of the fortune teller's description that out of 4 men in her life one she is afraid of (she seemed very uncomfortable with him after she let slip that she placed her lover above her son) the other three I assumed were Tony, John Beaver and John Andrew.

Has anybody read the book? Do you know whether this assumption is correct?

---I don't know enough to be incompetent.---

[–] vexata 15 years ago

She does in fact marry Jock in the book although they do not attend the memorial service. Excerpt:

" There's a letter here from Cousin Brenda. She's very sorry but she can't
get down for the dedication."
"Oh."
There was general silence.
" She says that Jock has a three line whip for this afternoon."
"Oh."
"She could have come without him," said Molly.
"She sends her love to us all and to Hetton."
There was another pause.
"Well I think it's a jolly good thing," said Molly.
"She couldn't show much widowly grief. It didn't take her long to get
hitched up again."
" Molly."
"And you know you think the same."
" I will not allow you to talk like that about Cousin Brenda,
whatever we think. She had a perfect right to marry again and I hope
she and Mr. Grant-Menzies are very happy."

[–] circus14 15 years ago

thanks!

---I don't know enough to be incompetent.---

[–] BrandyW319 15 years ago

So the main guy ends up in South America for life? He has to read until he dies? Or does he get killed when he finishes?

[–] MartinPh 15 years ago

We don't know. The book doesn't say. I always comfort myself with the thought that Todd may die before Tony so that he can become the leader of the tribe...

[–] lani-e 14 years ago

I assumed that if and when he finishes reading all the books, he'll just have to start again.

[–] Mixalidis 14 years ago

I assumed that if and when he finishes reading all the books, he'll just have to start again.

Poor guy!

Anyway, if he managed to survive for a while, I'm pretty sure he could get away somehow... but I like the ending the way it is.

[–] randommovies2002 10 years ago

I think so too. It was made clear that Todd never honored his promise to Washington. Furthermore, Todd made sure nobody else would ever come looking for Tony by convincing the search party that Tony was dead (gave them Tony's watch, showed them Washington's grave with the newly-erected cross on it, saying it was Tony's grave). And finally, Todd tells Tony he would like him to read Dicken's Little Dorrit next, which Tony had already read to him, revealing that Todd will never allow him to leave because he wants Tony to keep reading to him, even repeating books which Tony has read to him previously.