Sister, Mother And Lover: The family roles of Julie in Ian McEwan's 'The Cement Garden'

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, British
Cover of the book Sister, Mother And Lover: The family roles of Julie in Ian McEwan's 'The Cement Garden' by Ismail Durgut, GRIN Verlag
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ismail Durgut ISBN: 9783640403219
Publisher: GRIN Verlag Publication: August 18, 2009
Imprint: GRIN Verlag Language: English
Author: Ismail Durgut
ISBN: 9783640403219
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Publication: August 18, 2009
Imprint: GRIN Verlag
Language: English

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 2.0, University of Duisburg-Essen, language: English, abstract: 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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 2.0, University of Duisburg-Essen, language: English, abstract: 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.

More books from GRIN Verlag

Cover of the book Intelligenz und Willensfreiheit by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Zur Technik des Brust- und des Schmetterlingsschwimmens by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Geschichte des Schattentheaters by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Quo vadis Sozialstaat? - Die Bürgerversicherung by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Der Roman 'Mertvye duši' als die Hymne der Literatur und Tragödie der Gogol´s Biographie by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book George Herbert Meads Konzepte von Geist, Identität und Gesellschaft by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Der Soundtrack in The Birds by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Performancemessung und -reporting als Instrumente der wertorientierten Unternehmensführung - Eine Untersuchung börsennotierter Industrieunternehmen - by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Weibliche Sozialisation in den ersten Kindheitsjahren by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Arabismen - Der arabische Einfluss in der spanischen Sprache by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Nestlé - A Global Company Comes Under Fire by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Umweltrecht im Unternehmen by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Monetäre Prämissen ökonomischer Krisen by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Troia bei Homer und in der historischen Realität by Ismail Durgut
Cover of the book Zwischen Vielfalt und Vervielfältigung - Die UNESCO im Kampf um die Kulturen by Ismail Durgut
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy