Author(s)

Lingshu Chen ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ School of English Studies, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China

Corresponding Author

Lingshu Chen

ABSTRACT

Ian McEwan's debut collection of short stories, First Love, Last Rites (1975), established his reputation as a "macabre writer". This paper argues that McEwan delves into the darker aspects of human nature through unsettling elements and unreliable narrators, thereby prompting ethical reflections from readers. Taking the short story "Solid Geometry" as a case in point, McEwan scrutinizes a form of masculinity that values rationality over emotions, demonstrating the detrimental effects this can have on intimate relationships. The phallus preserved in a glass jar and the diaries featured in the story are employed as metaphors for patriarchal heritage. These symbols not only reflect the narrator's admiration for masculinity but also underscore the inherent link between knowledge and power. As a writer who previously expressed interest in the Women's Movement, McEwan's early work exposes the control patriarchal culture wields over women's bodies and highlights the power dynamics underlying gender relations by depicting violence within the seemingly mundane setting of family life. In conclusion, through his intricate storytelling, McEwan compels readers to engage in profound contemplation on the constructs of masculinity and patriarchy.

KEYWORDS

Ian McEwan, "Solid Geometry", Masculinity, Patriarchy

CITE THIS PAPER

Lingshu Chen, Ethical Reflections on Masculinity in Ian McEwan's "Solid Geometry". Lecture Notes on Language and Literature (2023) Vol. 6: 49-54. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/langl.2023.061509.

REFERENCES

[1] Ian McEwan. (1982) The Imitation Game: Three Plays for Television, Picador, London.
[2] R. W. Connell. (2005) Masculinities, University of California Press, Oakland.
[3] Victor J. Seidler. (2006) Transforming Masculinities: Men, Cultures, Bodies, Power, Sex and Love, Taylor and Francis, Oxfordshire.
[4] Ian McEwan. (1994) First Love, Last Rites, Vintage Books, New York.
[5] Michel Foucault. (1980) Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, 1972-1977, Ed. Colin Gordon, Trans. Colin Gordon, Leo Marshall, John Mepham and Kate Soper, Pantheon, New York.
[6] Kiernan Ryan. (1994) Ian McEwan, Northcote House, Horndon.
[7] Ian McEwan. (1981) "Mother Tongue." The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/ books/2001/oct/ 13/fiction. highereducation.
[8] Ian McEwan. (2001) "Ian McEwan writes about his television plays." London Review of Books, https://www. ianmcewan.com/resources/articles/mother-tongue.html.

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