本文聚焦於伊恩．馬基文的《陌生人的安慰》一書中的暴力之運用。論文研究本作品之批評接受史，接著仔細檢證作品中所呈現的複雜的美學技巧與倫理考量。其讀法大率植基於文本踐行層面，但過程中亦借用茱麗亞．克麗斯蒂娃之土著／外國人之辯證，並探討後現代倫理／美學之議題。本文試圖理解為何人們時常帶著尊重而非厭惡的態度研究馬基文這本恐怖刺激的小說。一個可能性是：小說中暴力之角色似乎不像是那麼無緣由，它引發一種頗為主動的自我質詰之形式。運用暴力作為焦點，的確可以辯稱馬基文不僅只是精通書寫藝術，而且其於從事藝術創作之際已完成一種相當錯綜複雜的道德意識形式。質言之，藉由讓讀者參與連貫、強力和深富意義的閱讀經驗，《陌生人的安慰》提供一種特殊的道德質詰形式。

This paper focuses on the use of violence in Ian McEwan’s The Comfort of Strangers. It considers the critical reception of the work before moving on to a closer examination of the complex aesthetic skills and ethical considerations displayed by the work. The reading is largely based on the performative aspects of the text, but in the process also borrows Julia Kristeva's native/foreigner dialectic and delves into the postmodern ethical/aesthetic issues. It is an attempt to understand why McEwan's luridly provocative novel is so often approached with reverence rather than disgust. One possibility is that the role of violence in the novel is not as gratuitous as it seems and induces a very active form of self-questioning. Indeed, using violence as the focus, it is possible to argue that McEwan has not only mastered the art of writing, but in practicing his art has perfected a very sophisticated form of moral awareness. The Comfort of Strangers provides a very particular form of moral questioning by engaging the reader in a coherent, powerful and meaningful reading experience.