Subjective Perspectives in Ian McEwan's Narrations

Thesis (M.A.) , 2006 , 111 Pages , Grade: 1,3

English Language and Literature Studies - Literature

Ever since McEwan's first publications, his work has received considerable attention from critics and scholars. Thus, it is not surprising that McEwan has been awarded with a number of prizes for his work and that he has been praised to be one of the leading representatives of the young generation.
Despite the extraordinary praise of McEwan's work, it has been discussed most controversially. The fact that he often engages taboo subjects like masturbation, incest, regression, child abuse, dismemberment, sadism-masochism etc. earned McEwan the reputation of an author who writes to shock his audience. McEwan himself appears to be surprised about these attributions and objects them.

However, it seems to be undisputable that the narrations are extremely shocking but it seems that not only the choice of topics is responsible for the extreme response to McEwan's narrations. In my opinion, the shock value of McEwan's narrations is mainly caused by his particular way to present these topics. In keeping with this, I consider the form of McEwan's narrations to be as important as their content. McEwan seems to experiment with the employment of perspectives, subjective perspectives in particular. In fact, it can be argued that he taps the full potential of the employment of subjective perspectives in his narrations as the reader is confronted with the subjectivity of perspectives on all levels of textual communication. In my opinion, McEwan's most outstanding accomplishment is his ability of depicting subjective perspectives in all consequence. The absence of morality in many of McEwan's narrations, for example, which is usually regarded as an underlying topic, can also be seen as a result of depicting consistently a specific subjective perspective. Therefore, this paper will examine the subjective perspectives in McEwan's narrations in all detail.
The nature of the subjective perspective has not been examined at large in narratology, although parts of this issue have been discussed thoroughly e.g. "unreliable narration", "perspectives" or the "subjective novel", etc. An applicable structure for analysing the subjective perspective on all levels of textual communication is inexistent so far. However, such a structure is required for analysing the subjective perspectives in McEwan's narrations and therefore it will be developed in the frame of this thesis. This new developed structure could also prove to be valuable in textual analysis in general.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• 1.1 The Thematic Focus
• 1.2 Outline
• Narratological Context and Terminology
• Subjectivity in Narration
• Unreliability in Narration
• Subjective Perspectives in Narration
• 5.1 Story-Internal Perspectives
• 5.1.1 Intrapersonal Dimension of Subjective Perspectives
• 5.1.2 Interpersonal Relation of Subjective Perspectives
• 5.2 Perspectives on the Mediation Level
• 5.3 Perspectives on the Textual Level
• 5.3.1 The Textual Perspective
• 5.3.2 The Perspective of the 'Implied Reader' or the Recipient's Role
• Subjective Perspectives in Ian McEwan's Narrations
• 6.1 Intrapersonal Dimension of Perspectives
• 6.1.1 Aspects of the Intrapersonal Dimension of Perspectives
• 6.1.2 Morality and the Ordinariness of Actions
• 6.2 Interpersonal Relation of Perspectives
• 6.2.1 Understanding Other Perspectives
• 6.2.2 Misunderstanding Other Perspectives
• 6.2.3 No Understanding of Other Perspectives/Isolation
• 6.3 Subjective Perspectives on the Other Communication Levels
• 6.3.1 Mediation Level → Level of Fabula
• 6.3.2 Textual Level → Mediation Level
• 6.3.3 Reliability of Perspectives on the Textual Level

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper examines the role of subjective perspectives in the narrations of Ian McEwan. It analyzes how different perspectives shape the reader's understanding of the characters, events, and overall themes within McEwan's work.

• The exploration of taboo subjects in McEwan's writing.
• The impact of subjective perspectives on the reader's interpretation.
• The use of unreliability in narration to create complex characters and situations.
• The interplay between different levels of perspective: internal, mediation, and textual.
• The ethical implications of subjective perspectives within the narrative.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter introduces Ian McEwan's writing style and the significant attention it has garnered from critics and scholars. It highlights the frequent use of taboo subjects in McEwan's work and the resulting controversy surrounding his writing.
• Narratological Context and Terminology: This chapter provides a foundation for understanding the theoretical concepts related to narration and perspective, laying the groundwork for the subsequent analysis of McEwan's work.
• Subjectivity in Narration: This chapter discusses the concept of subjectivity in narration and explores its significance in shaping the reader's understanding of the narrative.
• Unreliability in Narration: This chapter examines the role of unreliable narrators in creating ambiguity and complexity within McEwan's narratives. It delves into how unreliable narration affects the reader's perception of characters and events.
• Subjective Perspectives in Narration: This chapter explores different levels of subjective perspectives within narratives: story-internal perspectives (including intrapersonal and interpersonal dimensions), perspectives on the mediation level, and perspectives on the textual level. It examines how these perspectives contribute to the overall narrative experience.
• Subjective Perspectives in Ian McEwan's Narrations: This chapter analyzes the use of subjective perspectives in a selection of McEwan's works. It examines the intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of perspective, as well as the interplay between different communication levels in the narration.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords and focus topics of this work include subjective perspectives, Ian McEwan, unreliable narration, taboo subjects, narrative structure, perspective theory, and the reader's role.

• College: University of Paderborn
• Grade: 1,3
• Author: Eva Maria Mauter (Author)
• Publication Year: 2006
• Pages: 111
• Catalog Number: V94392
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640103263
• ISBN (Book): 9783640319961
• Language: English
• Tags: Subjective, Perspectives, McEwan, Narrations, Narratology, Nünning