Amsterdam

How does the novel’s satire distinguish between Clive’s corruption, which he justifies through artistic ambition, and Vernon’s moral descent, which is driven by professional desperation? To what extent does the novel suggest that one form of corruption is more insidious or more forgivable than the other?

How does the juxtaposition of Clive’s private moral failure in the Lake District and Vernon’s public professional collapse over the Garmony photographs develop the novel’s central critique of hypocrisy and moral decay?

The euthanasia pact begins as a compassionate response to Molly’s death but ends as an instrument of mutual murder. Trace the degradation of this pact and analyze how McEwan uses it as a narrative device to expose the characters’ vanity, fear, and capacity for betrayal.