Do you think that Beryl truly discovers what she was meant for by the end of the novel?

After Paddy the lion attacks Beryl, Bishon Singh says, "Perhaps you were never meant for him." Do you think that Beryl truly discovers what she was meant for by the end of the novel?

Yes, she finds herself and takes comfort in "all the beautiful thrashing we do when we live." As she finishes her epic journey (prologue and epilogue) she doesn't give in to the plane's plummet, but fights. As she says, "There are things we find only at our lowest depths". She discovers what is in her, she returns to herself. The ending line ("As if I must relearn just where I am going, and where----impossibly------I have been"reminds me very much of some lines from "Little Gidding" by T.S. Eliot:
"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

I think that at the end of the book we see Beryl doing something that she truly enjoys and feels empowered by. But I think overall that Beryl is too restless to sit still for long, I am not sure that she'll ever settle on what she was "meant for" because throughout the book her fearlessness encourages her to conquer every mountain she encounters. Since this book ends in her late twenties I'm sure there are other mountains she encountered and conquered throughout her life.

I don't think that Beryl learned what she was meant for, but I think she learned to follow her heart as a way of dealing with a world that didn't always accept her for herself.

No, I think Beryl understood that every day is about being on the path to self discovery; that the search for meaning is a fluid process.

I think she learned that she was a seeker.every path she took lead to another. Her accomplishments prove she was a pioneer for women.and, as a woman, she would --to her last breath-- be learning and discovering her potential. The term 'meant for' confuses me...does it mean being the best, or having passion?

I'm not sure Beryl would ever be satisfied even with her great achievements but would continually keep looking for the next mountain to cross. I am interested in reading her autobiography to find out exactly what happened to her. Next on my list.

I did not see any indication that she found any great meaning by the end of the book. She was an adventurer, and I believe she would only be satisfied with anything until she had mastered it, and would then be looking for something else.

I never viewed Beryl as a mature character, so I don't believe she ever discovers anything valuable about herself.

(Someone mentioned reading her autobiography; I'd recommend not wasting your time--she didn't even write most of it herself.)

I agree with most of the answers. Beryl is the type of person who will always want to continue to try new things. I do not feel she will ever be truly settled

I don't think Beryl ever got what she really wanted. She was a pioneer, a huge risk taker, but really I think what she most wanted was to be loved. She didn't have parents that truly loved her and she couldn't be with her childhood best friend because of the different cultures. She didn't love Jock but needed a place to live or the other men in her life. The only person that she truly loved and wanted was Denys and she couldn't have him either.