Between the Algorithm of Law and Total Religion: Ian McEwan’s The Children Act
Abstract
First, the article discusses the British writer, Ian McEwan, from the standpoint of his atheism. It does so through the prism of “double-track” world views which characterize some of his works (Black Dogs and Enduring Love). In the second part, the essay moves on to address the moral problem of his penultimate novel, Children Act, and discusses the dilemma present here on three levels: religious, legal, and existential. The last one seems to be crucial to determining the tragic nature of the characters’ situation.
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