In [Ian McEwan’s] The Cement Garden a prominent interpretative signpost is bestowed by the literary allusion to the story tradition in which children are put into a situation in which they must fend for themselves. The key reference here is to William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, a pessimistic tale of savage that emerges within the child when free of social controls.
However, the children in McEwan’s novel are not entirely cut from society. They try to keep their sense of family together by entombing their dead mother in concrete in the cellar of their isolated house. Moreover, all of them are influenced by adult codes of familial behavior. These codes become distorted in their independent existence, a process that culminates in the incestuous involvement of the eldest siblings.
While Sue, the younger sister of the first-person narrator Jack, does not change visibly, Jack himself runs through a metamorphosis in terms of hygiene and outward appearance as such. Tom, the youngest, starts dressing up as a girl and later on behaves like a toddler and Julie, the eldest, takes over the responsibility for the others and turns from sister to mother. At the end of the story, she even becomes Jack’s lover.
The following paper will discuss the different family roles of Julie. First, there will be a chapter on how Jack views his elder sister. This shall function as an overview of Julie’s character. The main part of this paper will present Julie’s changing family roles from sister to mother and finally to lover. The oedipal theme linked to that, will not be made a subject of discussion in this paper. A conclusion will follow the summary in the final chapter.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. JACK’S DESCRIPTION OF JULIE
3. THE FAMILY ROLES OF JULIE
3.1 JULIE AS THE SISTER
3.2 JULIE AS THE MOTHER
3.3 JULIE AS THE LOVER
4. SUMMARY
5. SOURCES
Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the evolution of Julie's familial roles within Ian McEwan's novel "The Cement Garden" following the death of her parents, specifically focusing on her transition from sister to mother figure and ultimately to the lover of her younger brother, Jack.
- The characterization of Julie through the perspective of her brother, Jack.
- The psychological metamorphosis triggered by the loss of the mother.
- The assumption of surrogate parental roles within an isolated household.
- The development of an incestuous dynamic between the eldest siblings.
- The interplay between external societal influence and internal familial structure.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Julie as the mother
As mentioned earlier, Julie resigns herself to her fate and accepts the responsibility of being the eldest in the family who is able to look after the other family members after the outbreak of their mother’s illness:
It was about this time that Mother more and more frequently went to bed in the early evening. She said she could barely keep awake… This left Julie in charge of supper and bedtime. Sue and I were in the living room listening to the radio. Julie came in and snapped it off. “Empty the rubbish bucket, will you,” she said to me, “and carry the dustbins round the front.”… Tom did not like these evenings without his mother. Julie made him eat everything on his plate, and he was not permitted to crawl under the table or make funny noises… He too was a little afraid of her [Julie]. She was suddenly so remote from us, quiet, certain of her authority. I wanted to say to her, “Come on, Julie, stop pretending. We know who you are really.” And I kept looking her way. But there was no answering look. She kept busy and her eyes met mine only briefly.
This passage portrays a situation where a change in terms of responsibility takes place inside the family. This process entails a restructuring of family roles. Julie becomes the surrogate-parent and Jack becomes the eldest child. Sue and Tom are also affected from the new situation. None of them seems to be willing to cope with the changed situation, especially with Julie’s changed behavior towards her sister and brothers.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the literary context of the novel as a narrative about children fending for themselves and outlines the thematic focus on Julie's changing family roles.
2. JACK’S DESCRIPTION OF JULIE: This chapter analyzes how the narrator perceives his sister through her physical appearance, behavior, and social standing among her peer group.
3. THE FAMILY ROLES OF JULIE: This chapter investigates Julie’s psychological shift, detailing her specific roles as sister, surrogate mother to her siblings, and eventually as a romantic partner to Jack.
4. SUMMARY: This chapter synthesizes the main findings, emphasizing how the children reconstruct an artificial family structure to mirror the one they lost.
5. SOURCES: This chapter lists the primary text and secondary academic literature consulted for this analysis.
Keywords
Ian McEwan, The Cement Garden, Julie, Jack, family roles, surrogate mother, incest, metamorphosis, isolation, adolescence, psychology, surrogate father, sibling relationship, narrative perspective, social compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the changing family roles of the character Julie in Ian McEwan's novel "The Cement Garden," focusing on how she transitions through different domestic positions after her parents' death.
What are the core thematic fields addressed in the analysis?
The core themes include the psychological effects of parental loss, the development of surrogate parental responsibilities among siblings, the construction of an artificial family identity, and the emergence of incestuous tendencies.
What is the primary objective of this research?
The goal is to analyze how the eldest child, Julie, adapts to the vacuum of authority by evolving from an elder sister into a surrogate mother and finally into a lover for her brother, Jack.
Which scientific method is utilized in this paper?
The author employs a literary analysis method, interpreting character development and narrative shifts based on the text of the novel and supported by secondary literary criticism.
What is examined in the main section of the document?
The main section covers Jack's subjective description of Julie, her roles as a sister and surrogate mother to Tom and Sue, and the subsequent romantic involvement between her and Jack.
Which keywords define this paper?
Key terms include Ian McEwan, The Cement Garden, family roles, metamorphosis, incest, adolescence, and social isolation.
How does Julie's behavior toward her younger brother Tom illustrate her role as a mother?
Julie displays excessive motherly concern, enforcing strict rules, feeding schedules, and bedtime routines, which leads Tom to regress into acting like a toddler.
Why does Jack's jealousy regarding Julie’s boyfriend, Derek, subside?
Jack's jealousy fades as he realizes that Derek is an outsider, allowing Julie to eventually reject Derek and reinforce the closed, incestuous boundaries of their "artificial family."
- Citation du texte
- Ismail Durgut (Auteur), 2009, Sister, Mother And Lover: The family roles of Julie in Ian McEwan’s "The Cement Garden", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/133790
