Analyse The Children Act – Ian McEwan
- Direct or explicit characterization
This story is told by a person who sees everything from above. (1) Fiona doesn’t tell the story
herself, but we know her thoughts. Fiona sees herself as a person who is not good at
explaining and talking about their feelings. (Page 60)
Adam says Fiona is a very calm person. (2)
In the story is also written that Fiona actually enjoyed her time alone, without Jack. She is
great company for herself. (3)
Fiona ‘says’ how much of a perfectionist she is, every passing year she feels like she’s
including to an exactitude that some people may find a little too much. (4)
- Indirect or implicit characterization
A clear way of characterizing Fiona, is when Fiona and her husband, Jack are in a fight. Jack
wants to have an affair with a woman he met on work. Fiona got very angry at Jack for this.
This shows how Fiona relies on Jack and how important loyalty is to her. (1)
This also shows how jealous and insecure Fiona can be. A few days after the fight she’s
thinking about Melanie, the woman Jack has an affair with. Fiona starts to think about
Melanie and Jack together at the university and about what’s possibly wrong with her. (2)
Fiona is also a bit suspicious and doesn’t really believe Adam’s allegations about Satan who
wants to kill him with his Leukaemia. This is shown by her responses when Adam talks about
him. (3)
Fiona is a good listener this is shown in the way she always talks with Adam about literally
everything. (4)
Character Development
In the beginning of the story, Fiona was really stressed out about Jack and about their marriage. She
was thinking about everything what went wrong and how they don’t express their love to each other.
When Adam Henry comes in to her life, she doesn’t think about Jack so much. Fiona and Adam are
having fun together, singing, making music, listening to Adam’s poems. This is a real distraction for
Fiona and the bond grows between her and Adam. She even starts to like being on er own. When
Fiona goes to Newcastle for her job, Adam follows her and they kiss. After that she sends him away,
he wants to live with her and Jack, but she says that’s not possible. When she gets back home, the
relationship between Jack and Fiona starts to rebuild. When Adam dies, she confesses about the kiss
to Jack, but Jack says he will love her forever.
Fiona grows apart from her husband, but eventually they grow back together.
- Direct or explicit characterization
This story is told by a person who sees everything from above. (1) Fiona doesn’t tell the story
herself, but we know her thoughts. Fiona sees herself as a person who is not good at
explaining and talking about their feelings. (Page 60)
Adam says Fiona is a very calm person. (2)
In the story is also written that Fiona actually enjoyed her time alone, without Jack. She is
great company for herself. (3)
Fiona ‘says’ how much of a perfectionist she is, every passing year she feels like she’s
including to an exactitude that some people may find a little too much. (4)
- Indirect or implicit characterization
A clear way of characterizing Fiona, is when Fiona and her husband, Jack are in a fight. Jack
wants to have an affair with a woman he met on work. Fiona got very angry at Jack for this.
This shows how Fiona relies on Jack and how important loyalty is to her. (1)
This also shows how jealous and insecure Fiona can be. A few days after the fight she’s
thinking about Melanie, the woman Jack has an affair with. Fiona starts to think about
Melanie and Jack together at the university and about what’s possibly wrong with her. (2)
Fiona is also a bit suspicious and doesn’t really believe Adam’s allegations about Satan who
wants to kill him with his Leukaemia. This is shown by her responses when Adam talks about
him. (3)
Fiona is a good listener this is shown in the way she always talks with Adam about literally
everything. (4)
Character Development
In the beginning of the story, Fiona was really stressed out about Jack and about their marriage. She
was thinking about everything what went wrong and how they don’t express their love to each other.
When Adam Henry comes in to her life, she doesn’t think about Jack so much. Fiona and Adam are
having fun together, singing, making music, listening to Adam’s poems. This is a real distraction for
Fiona and the bond grows between her and Adam. She even starts to like being on er own. When
Fiona goes to Newcastle for her job, Adam follows her and they kiss. After that she sends him away,
he wants to live with her and Jack, but she says that’s not possible. When she gets back home, the
relationship between Jack and Fiona starts to rebuild. When Adam dies, she confesses about the kiss
to Jack, but Jack says he will love her forever.
Fiona grows apart from her husband, but eventually they grow back together.
