The Children Act

Ian McEwan’s “The Children Act” is a critical expression of the conflict between faith, ethical behaviour and justice. In the novel, McEwan concentrates on articulate religious and moral practices that almost tear the very fabric that has set the society together. Three of the most outstanding characters from the novel, Fiona, Jack and Adam find themselves in different issues where religion or ethics influence the decisions they make. Sometimes, the characters overrun their religious and ethical inclinations and act in the wrong way. However, through the novel, McEwan tries to address a simple concern that besides there being religious beliefs, it is always right for people to act morally and in the line of justice for the case of keeping relationships and in the long run preserving human life. 

A characteristic start of the novel is the introduction of Fiona Maye who is the wife to Jack. Fiona is a staunch Catholic and also a jury who specializes in family law. Her concentration on family law has made her to grown into an understanding woman that has compassion and empathy with people and before making a decision, she considers how just the decision she makes would impact on the individuals in court and their family life (McEwan 2015). Fiona is therefore a character that McEwan introduces for the purpose of bringing the thought of how justice should be administered. Being empathetic should be part of the justice system (Lewis, Cogburn & Williams, 2015). The author tries to shift the reader of the play from the traditional view that justice is flaccid and that the process of justice should not understand personal positions. However, Fiona is a special character and as a jury, she first considers the plight of a situation and makes a sober judgement basing her argument on the prevailing conditions. 

The entire book argues for sobriety while making decisions that regard human life. It is the responsibility of every individual to safeguard human life in every possible way regardless of their area of practice. Doctors for instance are supposed to act in every way possible to act in the best interest of their patients and they should ensure that they give their all in saving a single life. McEwan therefore highlights the plight of doctors who are handling the case of a 17years old Jehovah Witness boy who is in a critical condition but is refusing a blood transfusion arguing that it is against his religious beliefs (McEwan 2015). McEwan however shows dedicated doctors who are concerned about even taking the matter to court just so that they could be given the go-ahead to conduct the blood transfusion to save the boy. The book is therefore nothing short of a story of sobriety and dedication against any resistance while saving human life.

McEwan in the novel highlights to a great extent the way that religious beliefs mislead people and make them act wrongly without even considering their health and other pertinent matters. In the recent past, there have been increasing religious indoctrinations that have been making some health practices hard to practice. The perception that the role of God is instrumental in health and is the primary influence from where the medical fraternity derives motivation has lived on for long (Rumun, 2014). There are however counterarguments that are led by some religious sects that make medical decisions hard to make. McEwen in his book therefore makes careful observation of the indoctrination concerning matters of health among some religious groups where he concentrates on Jehovah Witnesses (Charles, 2014). The reason that the 17 years old boy was refusing a transfusion because it was opposed to the doctrines of his religion. As such, the novel concentrates on showing why it is necessary to avoid religious indoctrination especially in matters of health.

In a rather implicit manner, McEwen expresses his thought regarding family and the entanglements that are brought in the family line as a result of religious and moral indulgences. McEwen expresses the thought of issues that hold the family together. He believes that every family member should be responsible for what they do especially when it affects their family. In highlighting the need to uphold morality in the family, McEwen showcases the family of Jack and Fiona. They are a couple that has been married for so long, yet they do not have a child yet. As a result, Jack decides to go and have a fair with a younger woman out of wedlock (McEwen, 2015). It is a matter that eventually leads to some separation and destabilizes the family. At the same time, Fiona is frustrated and at an instances falls in love with Adam to the extent that she kisses him. She then feels guilty and fears that the act would have a negative impact on her family and professional life. Using the case of Jack and Fiona therefore, McEwen brings up the thought of a society where morality should guide everyone’s actions to conserve family unity.

In general, McEwan’s work proposes the institutionalization of religion and moral codes that cause negligence in the justice and health spheres. It is because of the institutionalization of religious faiths that people are not allowed to make some important decisions for instance in health. Adam for instance, even when he has attained the age of 18 is unable to make a candid decision regarding his health whereby he would have accepted a blood transfusion basically because it is against his religion. He therefore dies as a result in what would be called a negligent death (Hadley, 2014). At the same time, Fiona refuses to take Adam and make him part of the family from where they would take care of for the fear of the moral implications that would befall the family after assuming him into their family. Therefore, to a great extent, the morality of Fiona and the religious beliefs of Adam as a Jehovah Witness altogether led to the death of Adam. 

In conclusion, McEwen’s “The Children Act” is a careful analysis of issues that are ethically taken to be correct but when driven overboard they could be enemies of justice and human life. Morals and religion are some of the problems that McEwen shows that they require moderation lest they could be holes of injustice. Using Adam as a case example, McEwen observes the way that religious beliefs against the will of the medical fraternity forced him to refuse a blood transfusion even when he is Leukemic, and he eventually dies. At the same time, Justice Fiona would have lived with him and helped him to demystify his beliefs, but for fear of moral questioning, she fails to accommodate him in the family. Therefore, McEwen concludes that religious and moral beliefs need moderation where human life is in danger. 

References

Charles, R. (2014). Review: ‘The Children Act,’ by Ian McEwan puts beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses on trial. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/review-the-children-act-by-ian-mcewan/2014/09/02/bb393d30-2ebb-11e4-994d-202962a9150c_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.542d2fe4cc0f

Hadley, T. (2014). The Children Act by Ian McEwan review – the intricate workings of institutionalised power. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/11/the-children-act-ian-mcewan-review-novel 

Lewis, T. T., Cogburn, C. D., & Williams, D. R. (2015). Self-reported experiences of discrimination and health: scientific advances, ongoing controversies, and emerging issues. Annual review of clinical psychology, 11, 407-440.

McEwan, I. (2015). The children act. Random House.

Rumun, A. J. (2014). Influence of religious beliefs on healthcare practice. Int J Educ Res, 2(4), 37-48.