The novel famously offers three different conclusions to the story:
Sarah represents the struggle to create one’s own meaning in a world of rigid rules. The French Lieutenant's Woman
⚓ Fowles does not pretend the story is real. He admits the characters are products of his imagination and even "appears" in the book as a traveler on a train. The Three Endings The novel famously offers three different conclusions to
Charles finds Sarah, but she refuses to return to him, choosing her independence over a conventional romantic ending. Historical Context Setting: Lyme Regis, England, 1867. The French Lieutenant's Woman
Fowles uses footnotes and epigraphs (from Marx, Darwin, and Hardy) to contrast Victorian "piety" with the harsh reality of their social structures.
Charles marries Ernestina and never sees Sarah again (the traditional Victorian "safe" ending).