Desire versus conscience : development of the id and the ego in Ian McEwan's fiction.

Throughout the course of McEwan's writing career, his books have dealt with interpersonal relationships, society, history, and the human condition, but his later works have grown and become more introspective, less shocking, and even more challenging because of their depth. This thesis will argue that the maturation has resulted in a shift from an extremely postmodern position to a more nuanced modern style, thus explaining the tension between and evolution of the concepts of the Freudian id, ego and super-ego or, more simply put, desire and conscience in his works.