The Institutional Gaze in The Children Act: A Study of Surveillance

Author(s)	Ms. Sruti S, Dr. Aruna G
Country	India
Abstract	The Children Act by Ian McEwan offers an interesting examination of the way in which institutions affect human lives through observing and regulating human actions and emotions. In the story, Fiona Maye, a high court judge, is faced with the decision of granting a 17-year-old boy Adam Henry a blood transfusion, even though it goes against his religion. Although the story seems to be mostly about ethics and the law, it also shows us how laws, hospitals, and the public opinion affect individual freedom and identity. The purpose of this paper is to look at the way in which observation and regulation of emotions is used in the novel through institutional power, medical intervention, and personal relations. Drawing from the theories of Michel Foucault and David Lyon, this paper claims that McEwan shows modern society as an environment where people are always being observed, regulated, and disciplined emotionally.
Keywords	Observation, institutional power, law, identity, discipline, authority
Field	Arts
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-10-16

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research