Consider the way in which McEwan portrayed women through his female characters
             Every female character within the novel is connected through Stephen. The main female characters are part of Stephen's private life; these are the people with which Stephen is closest to throughout the Novel. The minor characters are the females, which Stephen interacts with throughout his public life.
             Julie, Stephen's wife and Thelma, a close friend both have very different characters, they both represent the roles of modern females within our society both these characters go against the view proposed of the government.
             McEwan has expressed both their characters as being extremely strong and independent in their own ways. However some aspects of their characters seem to fit some of the governments proposed views of women. An example of this is that both women have extremely strong maternal instincts. Although Thelma never has children of her own, she diverts her mothering instincts to Charles.
             Stephens's mother is one of the few women within the novel that fulfils the government's image of women within society. However she is from another generation, a generation where women are to stand by and support their husband. McEwan however manages to express Claire's strong and independent character through the pub scene Claire goes against her husband and decides not to have an abortion.
             "She was an odd mixture of shyness and independence" This could be indicating that this is how McEwan sees all women. Claire only begins to fulfil the traditional women's role when she marries Douglas.
             Throughout the novel McEwan seems to respect and admire the maternal and caring instincts of women. Mc Ewan manages to express these feelings through his writing without appearing negative towards men within the novel and men in general.
             Two of the three minor female characters are both members of the gove...