Sex And Sexuality:Male Identity In Ian McEwan’s Early Work

We will focus on the sexual representation in Ian McEwan’s early work,such as incest,sexual violence,murder,pedophilia,sexual abuse and other plots.From the perspective of Judith Butler’s gender discourse,we will examine and analyze the abnormal sexual desire and extreme violence of male narrators,explore the logic behind those abnormal behaviors,the gender discourse behind their logic,and the violence and distortion of male identity establishment caused by forced heterosexuality discourse,which will lead to the criticism of gender construction of our society.In the first chapter,The Comfort of Strangers will be our chosen text.The seemingly violent murder of Colin is controlled by a set of gender discourse that runs for a long time.Robert and Colin,respectively the spokesperson of masculinity and femininity are established as opposite enemies by the gender discourse.The murder of Colin by Robert symbolizes the violent exclusion of femininity in the process of masculinity building.The discourse that allows "I" to establish oneself by excluding"others" is much more violent than we imagineIn the second chapter,we will examine the sexual violence of narrators of Homemade and Dead as They Come.Subjectivity is built by penis penetration and thus a set of gender discourse featuring as opposition of subjectivity and objectivity is established.Yet the male subjectivity built through the rituals of penetration is vulnerable to the subversion of objectivity and physical troubles.In Ian McEwan’s early work,female may rebel against male dominance and regain the control of sexual desire,and male narrators may resent himself because of his troubled penis.Male narrators may take revenge against oneself and then divert the hatred to his female objectivity.Male subjectivity may gain fake peace by disrupting his female objectivity.In chapter 3,we will explore the process of gender identity establishment,which is not naturally formed as we imagine.First.Ian McEwan tends to separates mothers and female sex dolls.If one is willing to set his male identity,he has to sever his close connection with his mother.Yet the acquisition of male identity at the cost of his mother is not regulated by the natural law but is a set of rigid rituals meticulously designed by social discourse.Second,in Disguises,the dressing game exposes the essence of gender is nothing but performance.Gender behaviors are costumes and masks,which can be chosen and changed at your will.Everyone is performing his gender and he will not be allowed to perform the other gender.The performance means that we are not born to be either gender but are regulated and trained to be a gender-ed people.In Ian McEwan’s early work,male identity establishment of narrators is exaggeratedly presented like an allegory.The terrible and obscene violence is vivid descriptions of the violence of the process of acquisition of male identity.Gender is performance trained and regulated by gender discourse.During the regulation,we may all be victims.The discourse is unequal,the establishment of masculinity is often accompanied by violent exclusion of femininity and the building of male subjectivity means suppression and disruption of female objectivity.Even though mothers are the source of male existence,they will do harm to male identity if the close connection between mothers and sons can not be severed.Those men who still keep close relationship with their mothers are seen as perverts.The distinctions between masculinity and femininity are exaggerated so seriously that if one tends to traverse his gender,he will be punished and scorned as obscene.Ian McEwan’s early work expose the absurdity of gender discourse through the violence and obscenity of male narrators.He also mocks the social discourse that manipulates his narrators.