A Hermeneutic Approach to a Socio-cultural Study of Ian McEwanʹʹs On Chesil Beach

Ian McEwanʹs On Chesil Beach is the story of conflicts at various levels. In this novella, the author shows how different factors, particularly cultural norms and sexual conflicts can affect peopleʹs lives and lead them down a certain path. Using a hermeneutic approach, this paper discusses the influential socio-economic, political, and cultural factors that had great impact on peopleʹs lives. McEwan illustrates how circumstances and settings influence people’s livelihoods and how the socio-economic status of the characters plays an important role in determining their future conditions. This essay shows the influence of culture, including the social climate of the time, on the societyʹs attitudes towards sexuality, class differences, legislation, contraceptives, abortion and—most of all—on the personal lives of the characters in On Chesil Beach.