What is the novel's final image, and discuss its importance.

The final image is a simple one, but it is also a lasting one. While it echoes all of Bernard's convictions about simplicity, it also plays into the revelation of Rhoda's death. The waves breaking on the shore can be interpreted in a number of ways, with the simplest of all being that it is a reminder of the unceasing passage of time which all the characters in the novel are subject to. It also has a quality of sadness, as the waves "broke," rather than simply meeting.