The Spatial Representations And Identity Questions In Ian McEwan's The Children Act

Ian Russell McEwan is one of the most famous English novelists.McEwan has been nominated for the Man Booker prize six times to date,winning the Prize for Amsterdam in 1998.He wrote the unease and fearfulness of modern people with exquisite and pointed writing,and he always talks about the topic like violent,death,love,good and evil.So many readers like him.Besides,he has a large amount of high qualities literary work,with a wide range including human nature,war,natural world and so on.The Children Act embodies his thoughts of children.The full text is divided into 3 parts:introduction,body and conclusion.In the body part,there are 4 chapters.The introduction raised the questions.The reasons for topic selection,the research status of Ian McEwan and The Children Act and the research significance and the methods of this research would be illustrated in this part,respectively.Chapter 1 explores the home space of The Children Act according to identity and space.First,the ethical identity of Fiona and Jack is analyzed,and I found that Fiona is economic independence but her husband who named Jack is in power in their family.Second,the influence of ethical identity on the space is studied on the basis of identities of existing wife and missing parent.Chapter 2 explores the working space also from identity and space.There are two people in this space:Fiona and litigant Adam.On the one hand,I explain that Fiona transferred the lost family power to the court due to the breakdown of marriage and the loss of family power.It means her broken marriage increases her power in court.At the same time,her working space becomes a shelter of broken marriage from a complicated painful place.On the other hand,I explain Adam's identity transferred,shows how he becomes a sceptic from a faithful follower of Jehovah's Witnesses.Then analyses the influence of ethical identity on the medical space,and the unique spiritual space which is created by Fiona and Adam.Chapter 3 studies the different ethical predicaments and ethical dilemmas suffered by Fiona in her home and working spaces.In family relationship,Fiona hates her husband even wants to divorce him,but she cannot accept the life without him.Therefore,she is trapped in ethical predicament.In working environment,such as Adam's case,she hesitates to give him blood transfusion then save his life,or obeys his religious rules.Later,this little boy expresses his adoration to Fiona.This complicated relationship between Fiona and Adam is also a kind of ethical predicaments.On this foundation,we know Fiona always tries to escape when she meets ethical selections.She run away from her home then focus on her job.And run away from the intricacy relationship and refuse to help Adam.Finally,that causes Adam's suicide.Chapter 4 explores the real meaning of The Children Act.Fiona's escape is the true reason of this tragedy:she cannot split her home and working spaces.On the title page,Ian McEwan said:the child's welfare shall be the court's paramount consideration.That means,if we want to find the way to solve the ethical dilemmas,we wouldn't be limited in one space.And face the difficulties with a split insight neither.The last part is the conclusion,which summaries the main points of the full text and emphasizes the importance of ethical identity and meaning to the space.Besides,this book also has a great effect on the law.So,it's very important to protect children from legislation,also in China.