After the Victorians: The Historical Turning Point in McEwan's On Chesil Beach

Abstract

This article examines the common view that Ian McEwan's novel On Chesil Beach is an affirmation of the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Instead, the roots of McEwan's ideas are traced back to the Victorian period, locating On Chesil Beach in a thematic tradition with a long pedigree in modern British literature. Through a critical engagement with McEwan's oeuvre, the author examines the moral implications that accompany the notion of a historical turning point.