Narrative as Moral Compass : Ethical Dilemmas and Storytelling in the Novels of lan McEwan

Abstract

This thesis explores the concept of narrative as a moral compass through an in-depth analysis of selected novels by Ian McEwan, using Atonement (2001) as a primary case study. The study investigates how McEwan’s fiction constructs, complicates, and communicates ethical dilemmas, situating his work within the interdisciplinary field of narrative ethics. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Wayne Booth, Martha Nussbaum, Adam Zachary Newton, and James Phelan, the research demonstrates that McEwan’s use of unreliable narration, polyphony, irony, and internal focalization transforms the act of storytelling into an ethical laboratory. Rather than providing fixed moral lessons, his narratives compel readers to engage actively in processes of judgment, empathy, and responsibility. The thesis argues that McEwan’s fiction consistently dramatizes the tension between aesthetic form and ethical content, personal choice and collective responsibility, law and vulnerability, and even extends these concerns into the realm of artificial intelligence in Machines Like Me (2019). By conceptualizing McEwan’s narrative strategies as mechanisms of moral orientation, the study concludes that his novels serve not only as works of art but also as dynamic moral compasses, guiding readers through the complexities of human decision-making, accountability, and ethical reflection.