Plug into our Chappaqua Reads online book discussion at chappaquareads.blogspot.com and join our lively talk about Ian McEwan’s
The Children Act
Fiona Maye, a distinguished,
brilliant, childless, and “still beautiful” High Court Judge receives a
proposition from her husband, Jack. She sees it as an ultimatum and locks get changed.
Can you blame her? Do you think Jack has a valid argument? If you were the husband or the wife, what would you do? Now, filled with anger and confusion, she perseveres and continues on with her powerful work that can change a family's life.
Can you blame her? Do you think Jack has a valid argument? If you were the husband or the wife, what would you do? Now, filled with anger and confusion, she perseveres and continues on with her powerful work that can change a family's life.
How will this affect her professional actions, particularly when deciding the fate of a 17 year old boy? There are so many intriguing questions and issues to consider.
The psychology and strategy behind Jack's actions can be a starting point for our discussion. Do you believe he really loves Fiona and is taking this action in order to revive their marriage? We can then move on to Fiona's reaction to it and what she fears most.
The Children Act was an actual bill that was passed in the United Kingdom in 1989. It is law that places the welfare of a child as top priority when ruling on judicial cases.
Did the Children Act prevail in Adam's case?
From the comfort of your own home or business, grab a cup of coffee and tell us what you think and why.
From the drop down men, a preferred method of posting your comments are by "Name/URL." If you choose "Name/URL," you do not need to provide the URL, even a first name or blogger name will suffice. You may also choose "Anonymous" if you wish.
Then, simply type your comments, hit publish, then after a minute or two your idea will be posted.
Looking forward to reading your questions, answers, and thoughts.
Well there are so many important issues to discuss in this novel, but I thought a good question to start out with would be the following:
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think Jack's (Fiona's husband) honest intentions are with this extra marital affair that he's dangling in front of his wife? Is it possible he is trying to motivate Fiona into reviving their marriage? Is it a cry for help to have their marriage not just survive, but thrive? Or, is he just being selfish about the emotional demands her job places on her as a woman with natural maternal instincts? Or, any other number of reasons.
Can a man dangling an extra marital affair have "honest" intentions?
ReplyDeleteVery good point susie q, but remember they have been married for 35 years and Jack keeps on returning to the room where Fiona is sitting and tells her he loves her on page 7, 8, 23, and 24. Is it possible that this is his last resort to awaken her to life and love? Remember he says on page 23, "I don't think we should give up, do you?"
ReplyDeletewould a man who is really having an extra marital affair, or thinking about having one, reveal that to his wife? if he is really going to do it, or is really thinking about, then he is being "honest" about that...is he not?
ReplyDeleteI agree. Jack seems to know his relationship with Fiona is the primary one in his life. He's having issues, and is willing to talk to Fiona about them.
DeleteI think Jack is making a plea for communication from his wife. She is very wrapped up in her work, and acknowledged that the Siamese twin case really had an emotional affect on her, which is about the time she withdrew from Jack. He knew something was bothering her, and wanted her to talk to him about it, but she wouldn't.
ReplyDeleteno he can't. I think that was really mean.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a communication problem but to do that is really immature. I wonder what would have happened if she agreed to the affair.
DeleteI sort of agree with Martha, except I do wish Jack would take some responsibility here. It can't just all be Fiona's fault. Right?
ReplyDeleteNo it's not, but....longtime marriages are difficult. Fiona talks about how people can sort of drift into a brother/sister relationship as the marriage wears on, but if both people in the marriage don't want that to happen there can be problems.
Deletei think jack is more insecure than he is a cheat...seems he's trying to reignite the passion in his marriage. one can certainly argue he's using a pretty poor method to do so, but that doesn't mean he's a bad guy because i'm not even sure he went through with it
DeleteWell the typical situation would be the reverse -- the husband wrapped up in his work and the wife "neglected." When we read stories like that don't we usually assume it is all the husband's fault?
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is understandable that Fiona perceives this as blackmail. Okay, they have not made love in 7 weeks. So what is she supposed to do now with this ultimatum? If Jack thinks this is a way to entice her into bed, he is misguided in his strategy. He might love her, and his intentions may be good, but as Fiona says, she can't revive their marriage, "with this gun to my head."
ReplyDeleteall true, but what should he do? let's assume he's tried everything else and nothing seems to work? at what point does fiona share some of the blame? how long can fiona use work and other factors as a legitimate excuse to not have any passion left in their marriage?
DeleteAgreed.
Deleteyes usually but this is a male author.
ReplyDeletenot sure what this comment is implying... yes, a male author who also wrote a strong female character, imo....but it seems to be somewhat of a double standard than a man is perceived as selfish for desire a passionate sex life and is upset because his wife is showing no interest, but yet if that same man showed no interest in his wife sexually he's also be considered selfish or at least neglectful and there would probably be suspicion that is in having an affair
DeleteMcEwan also went through a horrific divorce.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what his personal experiences were.
DeleteThis all brings me to ask the next question:
ReplyDeleteWhy has Fiona abstained from sex? Remember the Siamese Twins case.Mathew She ruled in favor of killing Mathew to save Mark. This was against the will of the parents. She received death threats after that. "For a while the case let her num, caring less, feeling less, going about her business, telling no one. But she became squeamish about bodies, barely able to look at her own or Jack's without feeling repelled" (pg. 32). It effected her "intimately." Jack should understand this. He should have compassion for her and the emotional demands her job places on her.
It might be hard for Jack to understand but it certainly is within his ability to respect the effect of her job on her.
Deletewhile it's understandable that such a case and others at fiona's work would affect her, it's hard for a man to understand why that would manifest itself in a lack of intimacy with her husband....why would a woman who loves her husband not want to make love to her husband? I don't think this excuse would fly if a man showed no interest sexually in his wife? would fiona, or any woman, understand her husband not wanted to be with her because a case at work troubled him?
DeleteAgreed, but he didn't realize this was going on with her because she wasn't talking to him.
DeleteFiona also hides behind her work. This is why I think "Anonymous" has a valid point. When Jack enters the living room again and again, it is as if he is trying to reason with her, negotiate with her, plead with her.
Deleteperhaps, but that only makes it worse....when a wife shows no interest in a man and isn't talking that only adds to his insecurity....hard to not think it's about him in some way....hard for any one to be that secure and centered
DeleteI also think Fiona is ignoring her emotions, or sweeping them under a rug. Her work demands that she deal analytically with emotionally difficult problems, and her job is to impose order on some very messy situations.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think they are both selfish. Each involved with their own concerns.
ReplyDeleteShe with the cases and he with friends.
i don't know, i think it's pretty selfish, for a man or a woman, to give so much attention to what's happening at work and yet not at home. why is work more important than a healthy, sexual relationship in a marriage? sex is one of the ways in which spouses should express their love and to allow what's going on at work to ruin that to me is unfair....understandable now and then, but not this extent...again, for a man or woman
ReplyDeleteBut it happens all the time. Demands of the workplace often supersede home life.
Deleteyes, it does...but it just proves that work is more important....these excuses to justify and explain a lack of a sex life are just that, excuses...an active, passionate sex life is an important component of any relationship and is a healthy, natural part of life...to expect a man or woman to go without sex for an extended period of time because of work is self centered an unfair....if sex was really important than it wouldn't be neglected
DeleteAgreed, but it does happen. There are only so many hours in a day, and if a conscious decision isn't made to apportion time to your primary relationship it can suffer.
DeleteI agree. they are both selfish. She is very emotionally involved with her clients and doesn't seem to have much left for her husband. I wonder if this would have been different if they had children?
ReplyDeleteHaving children would have prevented Fiona from becoming overly involved with her work -- she would have had no choice but to pay more attention at home but that's not a guarantee she and Jack still wouldn't have had this issue.
Deleteand the fact that they don't have children makes not having a sex life even less justified...as that is often a huge reason given why sex lives usually die....the bottom line is that if couples aren't having sex after this length of time it's because one of them doesn't want to or that sex has become unimportant
DeleteWow, This book has a lot of meaty issues. If I remember correctly, Fiona wanted to have children, but Jack kept on saying it wasn't the right time and then she got overly busy with work and then the dreaded biological timer ran out.
DeleteIs Fiona cold?
ReplyDeleteNo, as evidenced by her behavior toward Adam. She is capable of showing emotion.
DeleteI think she's just walled off part of herself. The way she responds to Adam indicates she may have some feelings about never having children of her own.
Deletebetter question...is she cold to Jack?
DeleteI think she is passionate about her work not with her husband but as Martha ponted out it has been a long marriage.
ReplyDeleteso what's jack supposed to do then? just accept a sexless marriage and that his sex life is basically over?
DeleteNo, he doesn't want that--and that's what he's trying to tell Fiona.
DeleteI think they need to talk about what is going on . I think Fiona needs to take a break from work and concentrate on her marriage.
DeleteWhy does she visit Adam in the hospital? That is very unorthodox for a Family Court Judge. Is she trying to override her fear that she is cold and distant-only rational?
ReplyDeleteI think she just wants to do everything she can to save his life because this case has really affected her (as the twin case did as well).
Deleteno, i think here she is legitimately trying to see what his state of mind is and if is truly making his own decision....this is a serious decision she has to make and i think she is just trying to do all she can to make the right one
DeleteI think she is drawn to him in a motherly way and I agree that she is also looking at it analytically.
DeleteI believe she visits him in the hospital for the "Human touch,"-pg 37.She needs to connect to this young man and she does it through the beauty and life of art. Remember her singing "Down in the Salley Gardens" to Adam's violin accompaniment. This transforms Adam in his thinking turning him away from the rigidity of his religion.
DeleteI think Fiona feels she needs to see the boy to determine his state of mind. I agree with Anonymous
ReplyDeletechange of direction here, but does adam refuse the blood transfusion because of religious reasons? or because he feels betrayed or abandoned by fiona?
ReplyDeleteI think not having something in place to guide him unmoored him. He was hoping Fiona's guidance would take the place of his religion.
DeleteHe became too attached to Fiona and I do think he felt abandoned.
DeleteI think "unmoored" is an excellent choice to describe what happened. Adam first relied on his religion to give meaning to his life. Then when Fiona introduced him to the beauty of Yeats, poetry, and music, he became alive again and wanted to live. Then when he realized that Fiona couldn't detach from her judicial life and reputation, he had nothing to support him anymore. Life was meaningless to him.
DeleteOK what are you planning for the next book. Have we really finished this book. Seems there are so many other important issues. Not just Fiona's marriage.
ReplyDeleteAgreed--any one of Fiona's cases would be worth discussing on their own merits.
DeleteYes, we have only begun to scratch the surface here on this short but full novel. Thank you all for contributing such though provoking comments. Our blog discussion will remain open and active so readers and myself can contribute over the next few weeks. But let me leave you with one other question, and that is in Adam's case, did the Children Act prevail? Technically it did. As a judge, Fiona ruled on behalf of his welfare by ordering the transfusion the first time. And now, as an adult, Adam has the right to refuse it. He dies as a result. But, if Fiona had behaved as a person and not be so fearful of ruining her reputation as a judge, and befriended Adam, perhaps he would have survived. Perhaps as an adult he would have taken the second transfusion. So, again I ask, is Fiona cold?
ReplyDeleteNo I don't think Fiona is cold. She wouldn't have reached out to Adam if she was. I think the job is draining and she doesn't have much left to give to her husband. Perhaps the relationship with Adam awakened her feelings and it scared her.
DeleteRemember her friend Mark Berner leaves the law (too sad, too stupid, too wasteful of young lives) and she doesn't. Maybe she will after Adam dies. Though I don't think so.
ReplyDeletethis was a great discussion and enjoyable....have you picked a book for the next one?
ReplyDeleteOur next book choice shall be posted in the library and on this blog in a few weeks. One Plus One by JoJo Moyes seems to be a contender.
ReplyDeletePlease keep your comments coming on The Children Act. I will be moderating it periodically over the next several weeks.
Happy reading!!