atonement social class essay

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Ian McEwan's Atonement . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Atonement: Introduction

Atonement: plot summary, atonement: detailed summary & analysis, atonement: themes, atonement: quotes, atonement: characters, atonement: symbols, atonement: theme wheel, brief biography of ian mcewan.

Historical Context of Atonement

Other books related to atonement.

• Full Title: Atonement
• When Written: 2001
• Where Written: London, England
• When Published: 2001
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Historical fiction
• Setting: England and France; before, during, and after World War II
• Climax: Briony Tallis’s false testimony, condemning Robbie Turner for the rape of Lola Quincey
• Antagonist: Paul Marshall
• Point of View: Limited 3rd person

Extra Credit for Atonement

Stranger than fiction. Family drama isn’t restricted to Ian McEwan’s novels. As a grown man, McEwan learned that he has a living, long-lost brother: a bricklayer named David Sharp. Sharp was conceived in an affair between McEwan’s parents, while McEwan’s mother was married to another man, and was given up for adoption in 1942.

Success on the silver screen. McEwan’s novels have been adapted to films at least seven times, including the 2007 movie version of Atonement that starred Keira Knightley as Cecilia Tallis and James McAvoy as Robbie Turner.

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Significance and functions of the characters in Ian McEwan’s Atonement

This essay examines the significance and functions of the characters from the novel Atonement, with special attention to the “minor” characters, and their special roles in the hidden context of the novel. I analyze the characters through four different thematical approaches: social class, identity formation, the power of literature, and the question of responsibility, discussing all the four themes from two opposite perspectives.

Related Papers

Journal of Contemporary Philology, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, B Koneski Faculty of Philology

Vasko Talevski

Linda Buckley

The epigraph to Atonement is taken from the story of Catherine Morland, a fictional heroine who lives in a realm of fantasy driven largely by romantic novels. In Northanger Abbey, Catherine falsely draws conclusions about the Tilney family, particularly surrounding its patriarch, the General, and what she assumes is the suspicious death of his wife. Catherine’s flights of fancy earn her the criticism delivered in McEwan’s epigraph, but she is brought to an understanding of the dangers of living in a world of novelistic fantasy before she can do irreparable harm. On the surface, the story of Catherine sets the stage for that of Briony Tallis. It serves as a warning to the reader that Briony’s observations cannot be trusted. However, beyond the obvious connection to Briony’s character, it implies a deeper exploration and challenge to McEwan’s fellow novelists about the nature and impact of the art itself.

Omar M Abdullah

Ian McEwan is one of the modernist writers who utilises new and uncommon ways of narrating. We find him dealing with history, wars and social themes, all knitted together in a manoeuvring way. The unreliable narrator, a technique he employs, is an innovation first seen in the modern era in Wayne C. Booth’s ‘The Rhetoric of Fiction’ in 1961. McEwan’s employment of this technique is an issue needing further analysis. In ‘Atonement’, his character Briony, who is still a child, narrates parts of the novel but her narration is questioned, for she might not be truthful or honest. Her being unreliable adds much to the novel and affects the fates of her sister Cecelia and the latter’s lover, Robbie. It is not only a matter of telling the story, it also interferes in the discourse of the action and propels the events in a different direction. As a result, it seems dubious to give the role of talking to a character (Briony) to narrate and cope with events, and so her telling is questioned to a certain extent because the events she narrates are deceitful on the one hand, while on the other, she is too young and hard to be trusted. The present paper attempts to read ‘Atonement’ from a new perspective and show what is meant by an unreliable narrator and how this technique is employed. How significant is the technique in terms of recounting the events in a piece of fiction? This paper illustrates the significance of the aforementioned technique, which adds new understanding to the reading of McEwan’s ‘Atonement’.

Peter D . Mathews

Published in a special issue on the topic of guilt, this analysis of Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement (2001) looks at the ethical problems that emerge from Briony’s narrative. It focuses especially on the problem of the relationship between the form and content of a secret, and the way that this transforms the act of testimony into a problematic discourse.

Atonement: A Journey Into Briony's Mind and Her Quest for Absolution

Liliana Santos

"Has the character Briony actually managed to achieve atonement in Ian McEwan's most recognized novel? This is a question that many may ask themselves at the end of the novel. However, this particular question brings to light other fundamental doubts: Exactly which type of atonement has the protagonist been trying to achieve? Even if she has not been able to achieve it, is it not enough to have tried? And to what extent does she really have to atone, considering that her bad deed was done when she was still a child? This essay will attempt to respond to those questions. Starting with a brief analysis on the definition of atonement, followed by examples of the protagonist's attempts to atone, and an examination on whether those attempts were valid or not. To wrap up, there will be an examination regarding the extent to which Briony should be held accountable. This last point seems crucial in order to understand the previous arguments from an objective and neutral point of view." *This paper is an essay submitted in May 2022 regarding the subject of English C2 Academic Writing.

Roczniki Humanistyczne

Tomasz Dobrogoszcz

Philobiblon

Alex Ciorogar

The present paper is committed to the topic of time and narrative. We will firstly draw a contextualizing outline, emphasizing the conditions which brought about the postmodern shift, followed by a cursory survey concerning the cultural aspects of postmodernism. In the second part of the paper, we will review some of the major works in the field of time and narrative. In the last part, we will finally investigate a postmodern British novel (Ian McEwan's Atonement) by using structuralist and phenomenological instruments of analysis.

THINK INDIA (Quarterly Journal)

Dr. M. Mary Jayanthi

The amount of criticism which overshadows Freudian concepts has never reduced the relevance it carries in the assessment of human inscape. It successfully explains the reasons behind the complexities of human behaviour. Ian McEwan, who is known for his vivid, picturesque, and striking narrative style, is a prodigy in exploring the human psyche. His prestigious work Atonement remarkably stands out in its portrayal of the interior realms and unpredictable workings of the socially conscious. This paper attempts a detailed study of the behavioural patterns of the characters and the role of the unconscious in controlling them. This study concludes that, though humans are the victims of the unconscious trauma, a positive sublimation can unquestionably save individuals and make them fit for society.

José Giorgana

Frontiers of Narrative Studies

James Phelan

This essay is a sequel to “Narrative theory, 1966–2006: A narrative,” Chapter 8 of the 2006 edition of

RELATED PAPERS

Alzheimer's Research & Therapy

Sònia Sirisi

International Journal of Surgery Case Reports

Ioannis Tsiaoussis

Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry

Shishir Kala

Reynaldo Gomez

Arxiv preprint astro-ph/0003067

Rosa Delgado

rumah minimalis

Bisnis Jasa Renovasi Rumah

Yazmin Ramirez Ramirez

International Journal of Genomics and Data Mining

Dr. K. Swetha Kumari

Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences

Bhavinder Arora

Angeliki Tsagri

Abdelmajid Qourrichi , hamza salah

Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy

ANDRES CASAS CASAS

Sounds of the Cold War: gendered submarine narratives

Irina Novikova

Journal of Engineering

shilpa sood

Igor Kabashkin

Gastroenterology

Robert Benamouzig

Nauka i Szkolnictwo Wyższe

Marta Szeluga-Romańska

Transport Technologies

Vitaliy Korendiy

Chinese Medicine

Nikolajs Sjakste

European Journal of Operational Research

Amirhossein Amiri

EPRA International Journal of Research & Development (IJRD)

Junesolfelia Curada

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics

Pehr-Johan Norbäck

Central European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Miklós Horváth

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience

Tatsuya Kameda

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

by Ian McEwan

Atonement essay questions.

How successful is Briony Tallis in achieving her "atonement?"

Answer Key:

The writer should identify that this is a question the 77 year-old Briony struggles with herself. Attention should be made to her decision to keep Robbie and Cecilia alive after the war and why she did that. It should also point to her decision to become a nurse in London over attending Cambridge. Answers should discuss a life full of guilt, and how the act of writing can both enhance or repent guilt.

Over the course of the entire novel, we pick up Briony Tallis at three different stages of her life. One, as an ambitious, imaginative child. Two, as a repenting, guilt-stricken nurse. And three, as an aged, and dying successful author. Identify three or four personal characteristics or qualities unique to Briony and discuss how these qualities change, stay permanent, or disappear and reappear from beginning to end.

Possible characteristics to be discusses are: writing, imagination, identity, guilt, penance, shame, narcissism/egotism. Answers should clearly identify which personality traits they are discussing and discuss each one at each stage of the book, whether it is absent or present in the text, it is still relative.

Pick two of the following objects and discuss how McEwan uses them as literary devices in "Atonement." Water; windows; light/dark; senses; the human anatomy; literature/writing; nature; temple/church/God/religion.

Essays should be able to identify the purpose of the symbol and clearly state what it stands to represent. They should then be able to select numerous incidents in the book when that object is used or discussed (at least four). Finally, the writer should be able to comment on how the object fits into an overall point that the book is trying to make or at least draw attention to.

What would Briony Tallis, the 77 year-old author, say about the power of autonomy a writer has? Are omniscience and manipulation good for a novel, or bad? Why does she compare "author" to "God?"

The student must identify that BT recognizes this as an extraordinary power to have. Attention should me made around the idea that regardless of the age of the writer, the power never weakens. Briony had just as much power for make-believe as a 13 year-old when writing "The Trials of Arabella" as she does as a 77 year-old writing "Atonement." There could be something said about how text outlasts life.

"From this new and intimate perspective, she learned a simple, obvious thing she had always known, and everyone knew: that a person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn, not easily mended" (287). Discuss.

The answer should discuss both WWII and Briony's crime. War tears bodies apart, Briony tore Robbie's soul, spirit, identity apart. It should be identified as coming while Briony was serving as a nurse--meaning the physical object of amputation leads her to recognize the invisibility of psychological amputation. The attempt to "mend" should also be discussed. The writer should argue that Briony either can or cannot mend what she has torn between Robbie and Cecilia.

In one sense, "Atonement" is a book about misreading situations and the consequences this can have. Identify episodes of misconception from the book and discuss what the says about the human condition to invent story in order to make sense, or place order, into an otherwise chaotic world.

Essays should identify at least three episodes from the novel in where what actually happens is misunderstood by at least one other character. Strong essays will discuss less obvious instances beyond Briony's misinterpretation of events. Students should tie this back into the themes of writing, literary tradition, and how imagination is as powerful as sensory perception.

What agent do "the twins" and "Nettles and Mace" serve to the book?

It should be noted that they are interchangeable. It should also be noted that they have no separating identity and that they both rely on Robbie Turner for survival. Like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in "Hamlet," they both contribute directly to the tragedy of Robbie (the accusation in 1935 and his death in 1940) as well as being innocent victims themselves.

What does "Atonement" tell us about social class in England in the 1930s? How much has it changed by the time the book reaches 1999?

Robbie is a victim of social distinction, but he is too proud to care. Cecilia denies its existence rising above it. Briony continues to always have it in her mind, at all three stages (she "knows" she is a nurse when she is one, and then goes back to having a driver in the end). It should be argued that the war did not solve the problem. The inversion of nobility and integrity (Robbie is a gentleman, Paul Marshall is not).

Discuss the use of war in "Atonement." How does it serve as a metaphor to the internal struggles of the characters? What does Part One presuppose about the future condition of Europe? What is the end result of war in the final section?

There is war both outside and inside. It creates guilt unworthy of atonement. Like the imagination, it can destroy all that is pure and innocent in this world. The primate nature of man is not like Leon sees it, but like Paul Marshall. Lola's rape by PM is a juxtapositional metaphor for the land of Europe during WWII.

Did Briony Tallis do the right thing by falsely keeping Robbie and Cecilia alive through the war? Defend.

The writer should be able to obviously identify between Ian McEwan and Briony Tallis as author, they should show an understanding that "London, 1999" is part of the book. The student can argue either way, but he/she must discuss the autonomy and power Briony Tallis feels as a writer. They should be able to recognize, regardless of which side they argue, that it was this act alone that Briony identifies as her final atonement.

Atonement Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Atonement is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Foreshadowing in 'Atonement'

Throughout the novel, there are repeated refernces to the "three figures in the garden" from Briony's story. These three mysterious figures foreshadow events that will occur and lend an air of mystery to the story that Briony is telling.

How was Robbie and Cecilia's first meeting?

They meet once for half an hour, during Cecilia's lunch break. Their reunion starts awkwardly, but they share a kiss before leaving each other.

Ideas why Briony misunderstands? - Atonement

Check out misunderstanding/perception below:

https://www.gradesaver.com/atonement/study-guide/themes

Study Guide for Atonement

Atonement study guide contains a biography of Ian McEwan, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Atonement
• Atonement Summary
• Character List

Essays for Atonement

Atonement essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Atonement by Ian McEwan.

• Woolf and McEwan: How the Modern Became Postmodern
• Decoding the Coda in Atonement
• Landscape and Growing Up in Atonement and The Go-Between
• The Dangers of the Imagination in Atonement
• Parallel Experiences Shape Atonement

Lesson Plan for Atonement

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Atonement
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Atonement Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Atonement

• Introduction
• Main characters
• References to other literary works

The Roles Of Social Class In Atonement By Ian Mcewan

Show More In Atonement by Ian McEwan, social classes are a central part of daily life for the Tallis family. Two classes are presented throughout the novel: the upper and lower classes. These two classifications are best represented by: Paul Marshal and Robbie Turner. Both of these characters are subject to, or display, discriminatory treatment because of their place in the social hierarchy. In Atonement, Ian McEwan utilizes social class in the main characters to demonstrate that class defines individuals by governing their potential opportunities. Robbie Turner is a character that McEwan uses to exemplify the advantages and disadvantages of being an educated member of the lower class. Although Robbie is merely the gardener of the Tallis household, he is provided the liberty of being an equal member of the family. His education is what makes him preferable when being compared to the cooks and maids. When the rape ensues during the search for the twins, Briony blames Robbie because of her negative …show more content… Lola’s rape was a climax for both characters, but they both continued their life in their class. Marshal goes on to marry Lola, representing that he had lost nothing from the event. Robbie dies as a grunt in the war; righting wrongs that he had never committed. McEwan’s commentary on class based on these two characters is that class defines them. Life is not based upon fairness and righteousness, but the resources that a person can provide. I believe that McEwan includes this criticism not only as a reflection on society when the story took place, but also on modern society. The differentiation between classes is a matter that will never fade. Through Robbie’s death, McEwan shows that the upper class prevails even when they are undeserving. The two men are seemingly similar, both educated and law abiding, but their wealth is what sets them

Related Documents

Analysis of atonement by dexter filkins.

In his 2012 article for The New Yorker, “Atonement,” Dexter Filkins recounts his time spent in Iraq and explains how he helped connect Lu Lobello, a veteran suffering from severe PTSD, with the Kachadoorians, an Armenian family. While in Iraq, the Kachadoorians suffered devastating casualties and injuries at the hands of Lobello’s unit, Fox Company. Even though the United States Government determined the civilian deaths and injuries were justified, Lobello and many other members of Fox Company developed PTSD from the harm they caused. In this situation, most of the involved parties, including the U.S. government, held different conceptions of the right and wrong action to take. This difference in opinions is caused by the cloudy nature of morality…

Rhetorical Reading Response

This text is a reminder to me of the affect that social class has on how people are treated and respected. Because I know this situation all too well, I do agree with the authors purpose and objective.…

Importance Of Classism In To Kill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee

Classism is assumed to be determined by the amount of money a person has. A person’s wallet seems more visible than their heart. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the reader is told about a young girl, Scout, growing up in South Alabama in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. Her father is a respected lawyer who is assigned to defend an African American accused of raping a white girl. The trial for the case finally comes up, and the man’s legal status is decided.…

Stanley Aronowitz: Class Structure In American Society

Class Structure in American Society According to Stanley Aronowitz, “class is deeply embedded in the recesses of our cultural and political unconsciousness.” This quote is particularly meaningful, because it is so true. Class determines almost everything we do weather we realize it our not. Class shapes who we are and where we would like to be as a person.…

Analysis Of People Like Us: Social Class In America

Coming from my position in life, I often find challenge in analyzing, interpreting, and discussing social class. It weighs on me that I likely bring unfair biases and predispositions to this topic. I am a white, American, educated, athletic male from a family with both parents still together and without many financial troubles. Aside from perhaps a degree from a prestigious University or boat loads of cash, I do not think that I could be more privileged. Although my privilege might sway my ideas on the matter of social class, I am working to remove these biases in order to truly recognize the ways in which the social construct of social class influences the individuals, communities, and institutions that I come in contact with in everyday life.…

Gilgamesh Social Class Analysis

Looking at social class with Postcolonial Theory is a good choice for the literature because decolonized people develop their identity based on cultural and social relations. Looking at these texts through a class lens allows the reader to further analyze the text and gain a better understanding of the characters and their actions due to their class standing. Class is a set of concepts in both the social and political theory that is centered on social stratification in which people are grouped into a set of hierarchical social categories. People are grouped in classes based on variations in wealth, bloodline, material possessions, and prestige in society. The most common breakdown of class being upper, middle and lower classes.…

Social Class In John Mctiernan's Die Hard

Social classes and race are some of the main factors of how people treat each other. People in the upper class look at the lower class as poor and violent criminals. People also associate some races as being poor and criminals. John McTiernan 's "Die Hard" is a marvelous example of how Social Class can alter the way one treats another. The main character, John McClane, is a very skilled Policeman who receives an average income.…

Summary Of Paul Fussell's Class A Guide Through The American Status System

Fussell put in perspective that society needs to realize that we all have a place where we belong and for me Fussell made me realize that I am a part of the poor class which is awful, but on the bright side I agree that humans reveal their class just by the way they behave for instance, Studs Terkel interviewed a woman and in this midst of the interview he poses the question, “what are your thoughts about social classes in the country” (Fussell, pg. 16) you can tell she had angered about the topic being brought up because she mentions that they should dismiss the term “social class”. All of these terms and how they are defined in the book is how people associate the term. Max Weber actual defined class as the meaning to “the amount of money you have” and “status being the social prestige in relation to your audience” this means that depending on who you are as an individual we all hold a type of rank. The last term being defined is party and that means the measurement of the level of power you have.…

Class In America-2012 By Gregory Mantsios Summary

“Class in America - 2012,” by Gregory Mantsios, explores class in the Modern Day United States and its effects on individual accomplishments. Mr. Mantsios believes that the classes of America can be divided into three categories: The ultra wealthy, the working class, and the poor. However, this is simply not the case. On the upper end of the spectrum, there is a capitalist class of people in between the ultra wealthy and the working class. On the lower end of the spectrum, there is a class of people wedged between the ultra poor and the middle class.…

How Does Social Class Affect The Great Gatsby

In the 1920s or as it was also known, The Roaring 20s, many people were finding ways to make money. Some made money through the stock market or becoming bootleggers, how the person had obtained their wealth affected their relationships with others. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald social class has an effect on relationships. It affects how people treat each other and how they are viewed by one another. In the novel, there are three main types of people that are grouped either old or new money and the lower class.…

Similarities Between Willy And Tess Of The D Urbervilles

Two of literature’s greatest tragedies, Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman follow the lives of two memorable characters. Hardy’s Tess Durbeyfield is a young, beautiful peasant. Miller’s Willy Loman is an old, worn-out salesman. Although on the surface it does not seem so, Tess and Willy’s stories follow similar formats.…

Gregory Mantsios Class In America Analysis

Some have the experience and childhood where things were given to them with a silver spoon, but there are also others who have to fight for everything they have and in most cases it’s their life. It is clear to understand that nature of class privileges, and society. According to the article, Gregory defined the phrase “social class” on how it represents people in the world. He states, “workers are most likely to identity with their to identity with their employer, industry, or occupational group than with other workers, or with the working class” (Mantsios, 26). Gregory makes us to understand that employees mostly identify themselves under certain classes that describes where they fall under that class society.…

Sociological Analysis Of Freedom Writers

"Freedom Writers" Social Theory Analysis Even though many people aren't really aware of the existence of the social theories, they are a big part of our lives. Until we studied them, I didn't know about this, and now that I have a better knowledge about them I can easily apply them to my everyday life and what surrounds me. The movie Freedom Writers is a movie that contains ALL the social theories, and they are really easy to spot. In this essay I shall walk you though some of the things I identified from the movie regarding the social theories, to help you understand why this movie is the perfect example of the social theories. To start of, the first and biggest issue in the movie is Race.…

Social Class In Goodbye Columbus By Phillip Roth

Members of different social classes typically behave in different ways. The social class that you belong to can determine your way of life and the decisions that you make. In the novella “Goodbye Columbus” by Phillip Roth, the two characters Brenda Patimkin and Neil Klugman come from different social classes. Neil is from Newark, a city in New Jersey, and is lower middle class. Like Neil, Brenda was also born in Newark, but her family eventually moved away to Short Hills, an affluent suburb.…

Social Class In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

The literary works Medea, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Male Desire Female Disgust; The reading of Hustler, all include several reoccurring themes. One of these themes is social class. Social class is a division of a society based on social and economic status. Social classes have been common practice for centuries. Social class is in a nut shell the pecking order of society based on finance.…

Ready To Get Started?

• Create Flashcards
• Mobile apps
•   Facebook
•   Twitter
• Cookie Settings

• TOP CATEGORIES
• AS and A Level
• University Degree
• International Baccalaureate
• Uncategorised
• 5 Star Essays
• Study Tools
• Study Guides
• Meet the Team
• English Literature

English Literature - Atonement (Essay 1)

1,486 words, candidate number 5635

By analysing two passages from Atonement , consider ways in which McEwan presents the transition between the child and adult world

The prime method by which McEwan presents the transition between the child and adult world in Atonement  is through specific focus on the behaviour and motivations of one character, Briony Tallis. Taking a psychological and personal approach, McEwan addresses the complexities of adolescence, “the ill-defined transitional space between the nursery and adult worlds” , and the various archetypal effects, usually of a sexual nature, that affect a child with little or no experience of adult life. Briony, it would seem, is a character trapped in a bubble, who requires the intervention of internal and external forces in order to break into the world of adulthood. The two passages selected specifically show the distinction – or, indeed, lack of – between child and adult Briony, her coming to being and her realisation of the ‘crime’ “for which she will spend the rest of her life trying to atone” .

Part One mainly concerns McEwan developing a prevailing aura of obscurity and anticipation, with young Briony having intercepted a vulgar letter that she believes confirms Robbie Turner as a ‘maniac’. The Part focuses on two differing viewpoints; those of Briony and the rest of the world; dropping her in solitude. The paradox is that while Briony is attempting to pursue adulthood and convince herself of her maturity – “the day had proved to her that she was not a child”  – she “had to prove herself worthy of it” , accordingly reverting to a juvenile mindset. This absurd attitude is put into practice during her encounter with Lola Quincey (pages 118-19). The passage exposes the “controlling demon”  that governs Briony’s behaviour; the transition between the child and adult world being presented by McEwan as one of malevolence and possibly even antagonistic drive. It also depicts a transition from trust in words to that of action – this also portraying conflicting attributes of children and adults; maybe even regression.

This is a preview of the whole essay

A prominent motif throughout Atonement is the ‘power’ of language, and how something as modest and seemingly insignificant as a word can alter a whole course of events. McEwan’s focus on this theme possibly arose from the effects of his own childhood; his mother’s “ particular, timorous relationship with language ”   reciprocally influencing his own views purveyed through Atonement .  Indeed, one might say that Briony’s confidence in the power of language is intrinsically a juvenile concept – e.g. the value of learning to read at an early age – and the fact that this belief is still present in the final part of the novel, with her plan for atonement – “as long as there is a single copy…then my spontaneous, fortuitous sister and her medical prince survive to love”   – implies that it is one feature of her youthful mentality which hasn’t experienced transition.

Turning back to the passage, having shown Lola the letter “the effect [on Briony] was gratifying” , giving further grounds to the idea of a malevolent transition. It hints that she believes she has completed a stage in her strive for maturity. She has enforced her intentions on the real world as well as the world of authorship, granting her a glimpse into adulthood.

Brian Finney asserts that McEwan “remains fascinated with the forbidden and the taboo, which he continues to describe with non-judgmental precision” . Looking further into the passage, the word ‘cunt’ striking Briony as a premise for rape accusation, epitomises her immaturity and drastic misinterpretation of taboo language. One can deduce that her intention is to develop a greater feeling of responsibility; her thoughts are nonetheless reflected by the adults condemning Robbie later in the novel. When Briony “spelled it out for her, backwards”  it gives the image of a children’s word game, McEwan’s emphasis on ‘backwards’ allowing greater insight into the maintained misguided thoughts of Briony, her trust of the power of language and the ridiculous conclusions drawn from the word. She possibly feels that she has conformed to society’s rules by exposing a potential danger, this again bringing us back to her frame of mind – does the ‘controlling demon’; her precocious, insular, attention-seeking traits lead her to prioritise them? Parallels can be drawn with another of McEwan’s works, The Cement Garden , by which his characters experience a growing – somewhat Freudian – sex drive in their state of transition. Is Briony contrastingly trying to repress her adolescent sexual urges? Could these said urges be for Robbie?

It can also be questioned whether Briony’s intentions lie predominantly with the view to portraying her ‘adulthood’ instead of actually growing up. “The desire to share a secret and show the older girl that she too had worldly experiences”  gives the reader two things; one being that McEwan makes specific reference to Lola as ‘the older girl’, most probably to prove Briony’s aspirations and potential mannerisms. Ironically, Lola’s confidence in Briony’s accusation of Robbie, for whatever reason, displays a somewhat immature mindset in Lola. The quote also amplifies her misguidance – Briony, in relative terms, does not have ‘worldly experiences’, and “guiding Lola to the basin”  does not particularly show or affect whether she does or does not. Another interesting line, “they’re just little kids” , continues to hint that Briony is anticipating, or is at least trying to portray, this impending change, presenting herself as a responsible adult, disconnected from childhood, in front of a girl who she might even aspire to be like.

Moving on, the second passage (pages 341-2) concerns Briony’s visit to Cecilia – a whole five years after her ‘crime’. This scene was, however, entirely constructed by the “writer-director”  Briony in her formulation of Parts One, Two and Three – it never took place. Atonement , being a post-modern novel, works by means of metanarrative. It is “time-honoured”   and constructed with a temporally interlaced storyline; Mullan believing that “some readers have felt cheated by it”  (a “crude melodrama” )   alluding to the emotive effect that McEwan’s catharsis evokes.

With regards to the text, were the reader to take the scene where Briony witnesses the death of a young soldier in the hospital – that “seem[ed] to catapult her at last out of her destructive self-interest”  – to be the catalyst behind her visit to Cecilia, it suggests – bearing in mind that the ‘flat scene’ is a construction – that the childhood vices of a diminished sense of pain and suffering (which ultimately condemned Robbie) remained and were not recognised until years later when she was writing the novel. Has she grown up at all by this stage? The ‘flat scene’, despite presenting an initial contrast from the first passage, implicitly provides evidence that her transition has been stunted.

Her inevitable apprehension is compounded by Robbie’s glaring presence in the room – “she was watching from far away.”  He is an old “demon”  in Briony’s life. A degraded, sullen character physically showing her the result of her actions – sunken cheeks and a little moustache providing an odious, even childlike image. “When he raised his voice she jumped”  likening him to a dominant adult – a school teacher or parent – with vocal influence over a small child. Robbie’s direct question “what’s made you so certain now?”  is answered by Briony with “growing up” , McEwan’s use of a succinct response effectively depicting Briony’s feeling of urgency and apprehension, “a child anticipating a beating” . Briony is vulnerable; the longevity of time hasn’t protected her from being reprimanded. Interestingly it is “strange, that for all her guilt, she should feel the need to withstand him. It was that, or be annihilated”  – the transition hasn’t provided Briony with adult virtues of resoluteness and confidence. One might also suggest that she is continuing to behold Robbie as this violent, repulsive attacker that her child self condemned. The subtext is clear – Briony’s transition has been delayed.

Conversely, taking into account her total precedence over this scene it is possible that Briony is imposing some kind of moral punishment on herself – possibly unjustly – through her trusted ‘word power’. Robbie deserves to antagonise Briony through the “hardness in his gaze”  and a raised voice; she is a masochist – the aforementioned repressed urges are seemingly taking effect.

Hence, McEwan’s presentation of the transition between the child and adult world, as shown by these two passages, is very abstract. Briony’s position as narrator means that the reader cannot determine a time scale on the results of the transition. Where we believe she has matured, McEwan imposes a ‘great turn’ on the reader in the final Part. This still does not mean that we cannot use it in effect; it merely shows her thoughts when writing the novel – a state of self-punishment. She is “the prime example of the way art shapes her life as much as she shapes that life into her art” . Having been a young girl with a restricted view of the world and a naïve mindset she has – albeit slowly – come to realise the consequences of her ‘crime’ and tried to amend them. The ‘worldly experiences’ have taken their toll and given Briony a chance to atone.

  Atonement p.141

 Back page, Atonement , Vintage Books, 2002

  Atonement p. 163

  Atonement  p. 163

  Atonement p. 5

 Ian McEwan, The Guardian , 13 October 2001

  Atonement p. 371

  Atonement  p. 119

 Brian Finney , Briony's Stand Against Oblivion: Ian McEwan's Atonement , 2002  

  Atonement p. 119

  Atonement  p. 118

  Atonement p. 118

  Atonement  p. 12

 John Mullan, The Guardian , 19 March 2003

 David Wiegand, Stumbling into Fate: Accidents and choices trip up the characters in Ian McEwan’s new novel , 10 March 2002

  Atonement  p. 341

  Atonement  p. 167

  Atonement  p. 342

  Atonement p. 341

 Brian Finney , Briony's Stand Against Oblivion: Ian McEwan's Atonement , 2002

Peer Reviews

Here's what a star student thought of this essay.

Quality of writing

This essay seems to reference every time they have quoted the book in a footnote. This is highly unnecessary at A-Level. Quotes which are from other critics or articles, such as Brian Finney, should be in footnotes. On this note, the inclusion of such critical interpretations is excellent here. Examiners will be looking at how you evaluate the reception of texts, looking at arguments which are weaker and those which are stronger. This essay does this well, and is a great example of not overloading on critics which are irrelevant. This essay has a strong introduction, but as mentioned above I feel the other paragraphs aren't focused enough on the question. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are fine.

Level of analysis

The analysis here is good. I would've liked to have seen more paragraphs like the one regarding the 'power' of language. This paragraph makes some perceptive comments about McEwan's technique, and I would note that mentioning metafiction would make this point more sophisticated. I like this paragraph as it focuses explicitly on a specific technique, whereas the other paragraphs don't have this sharp focus. Comments such as "Briony, in relative terms, does not have ‘worldly experiences’" are fine, but I feel as if the point ends there. If I were writing this essay, I would be discussing what effect this has upon the reader's perception of Briony's character, and why her narrative position affects this disposition. Examiners want to see why techniques are used, rather than simply stating they are there. There is a wide knowledge of the text shown here, but I feel as if this essay simply retells the plot sometimes. It is key at A-Level that you are explicit with how McEwan is shaping the story through his narrative, as you will not be credited for narrating the plot.

Response to question

This essay responds well to the question. The extracts chosen are great examples, as they offer plenty of techniques which can be analysed to build a strong and convincing argument. I would've liked to have seen some engagement with what the child and adult world consist of. An exploration of whether these worlds are bound by age, experience, or otherwise would be relevant here. Innocence and experience are phrases which are often used when discussing Atonement, and I feel this could've been used well in the argument. There is some discussion of why McEwan has presented this transition, but I feel this essay could've gone further to explore the effect this presentation has.

Document Details

• Word Count 1759
• Page Count 5
• Level AS and A Level
• Subject English

Related Essays

English Literature - Atonement (Essay 2)

An essay that examines whether Briony ever achieves atonement in 'Atonement...

Essay Plan - The Theme of Social Class in Atonement.

Aspects of Narrative in "Atonement ".

• KS2 English
• Study Guides
• Practice Tests
• Rapid Revision
• YN+ Digital

This website uses Cookies

A Level Study Notes and Revision Guides

Atonement: a level york notes, critical interpretations, critical reception, what the critics say.

Hermione Lee, professor of English literature at the University of Oxford, draws attention to the way Atonement explores a larger political topic in showing how twentieth-century society was shattered and remoulded by the Second World War and the events surrounding and following it (‘If Your Memories Serve You Well’, The Observer , 23 September 2001). Academic Frank Kermode explores the similarity with Henry James’s What Maisie Knew (1897), a novel about family turmoil and break-up and the impact this has on a young girl (‘Point of View’, London Review of Books , 4 October 2001, pp. 8–9). Geoff Dyer compares Atonement to the novels of D. H. Lawrence and looks at its upper-middle-class setting (‘Who’s Afraid of Influence?’, The Guardian , 22 September 2001).

Earl Ingersoll (‘Intertextuality in L. P. Hartley’s The Go-Between and Ian McEwan’s Atonement ’, Forum for Modern Language Studies , July 2004, pp. 241–58) has looked in depth at Atonement ’s relationship with The Go-Between and other texts. He examines not just the possible influences on McEwan but also the effect Atonement has had on our reading of other novels, including those written before Atonement . Making the point that the existence of Atonement alters a subsequent reading of The Go-Between , or even Lady Chatterley’s Lover , Ingersoll draws attention to what a reader brings to a book and how our own prior experience and knowledge shapes what we find in it. This approach, following the lead of postmodern schools of criticism (see Atonement and postmodernism ), ascribes at least equivalent importance to the reader’s response as to the author’s intention.

• Free Essays
• Citation Generator

Social Class in Atonement

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

Journey's end and the accrington pals - class system essay example.

The theme of class is one that is important in both R.C.Sherriff’s Journey’s End and Peter Whelan’s The Accrington Pals. Class is explored through the use of characterisation, setting, structure, dialogue and also political ideologies. Both Sherriff and Whelan may have chosen to develop the class system to emphasise the change it has undergone since the war ended.…

Stella Street

Class politics are introduced to the story when the Phonies arrive in Stella Street. The Phonies are disliked as soon as they arrive in Stella Street because of the renovations they make on Old Aunt Lillie’s house and the children of Stella Street make fun of the fact that the Phonies refurnish the house (p.13). Henni encourages the reader to make fun of the high class Phonies about the…

How Important Do You Think Social Class Is in an Inspector Calls and How Does Priestly Present Ideas About Social Class?

The theme of social class is also shown through the character of Sheila. Sheila is a character whom takes advantage of the social standing which she holds and thinks because of this that she holds power over others. This is shown in Act One when she recalls being in a “furious temper” when she was in the department store Millwards where she is a frequent customer, she informs the inspector of the scene where she apparently saw Eva Smith smiling when Sheila tried on a dress. Sheila then takes advantage of the social standing which she hold and orders the store to dismiss the girl or she would “persuade mother to close [their] account with them”. The fact…

Who Was to Blame for the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet?

I will show understanding of the plot, character and themes and Shakesperes use of language and dramatic devices within the play.…

Go Between Quotes

In his novel, the author takes us on a momentous journey which sees the protagonist, a naive young boy, Leo Colston; lose his childhood innocence as a result of his involvement in a forbidden love affair between the sister of his aristocratic friend and a farmer on the estate they manage. The forthcoming tragedies wholly depend on the social constraints of those days. This setting is therefore of great significance to the enjoyment of the novel. As the story continues, Leo becomes drawn deeper and deeper into their dangerous game of dishonesty and desire, until his role brings him to a shocking and premature revelation awakening him into the secrets of the adult world and the evocation of the boundaries of Edwardian society.…

As You Like It: Fulfilment and Acceptance Story

The comedic structure of the play, allows for the reduction of Elizabethan social paradigms through the use of a utopian pastoral setting. The play begins in disharmony and banishment in the ‘perilous court’. Being excluded from the court, Rosalind’s notion of identity is challenged. Her exile, triggered because she is ‘thy father’s daughter’, causes her alienation, shocking the values held by Shakespeare’s 17thcentury audience. Rosalind and Celia shed their old identities, along with the burdens of court life, for new ones as Aliena and Ganymede, their theatrical disguise adding humour to their search for a new acceptance and a safe place of belonging.…

Social Class in to Kill a Mockingbird

There are many different social classes in “To Kill A Mockingbird.” The factors that separate people into these social classes are their skin color and their occupation. For example, Atticus, Scout, and Jem are part of the highest social class. They are part of this social class because Atticus is a lawyer, which makes him a highly respected person in the community. He is also white, which, at that time was a very important factor that chose who belonged in what social class. Scout and Jem are his children and therefore are also part of this social class.…

Arthur Birling Analysis

Priestley cleverly employs dramatic irony to burst the bubble of Arthur Birling’s pomposity. The play is set in 1912, two years before the First World War and by pointing up Birling’s fallibility the audience is less inclined to agree with the views on the personal and social responsibility he declares throughout the play.…

The Men We Carry In Our Minds

On his college campus he find himself demonized by certain female peers because of his sex. Women accuse him of being part of group collectively “guilty of keeping all the joys and privileges to [themselves]” He finds himself condemned to share the guilt of the few, the few who actually took advantage. The jarring contrast, between the individual and the standard they are held to, recurs throughout the text. The saddening theme of the tragedy of assigned identity, the struggle with inescapable assigned guilt, rears its head throughout both texts. To amplify this feeling of injustice, both authors use vivid imagery to juxtapose the reality of their subjects against the supposed evil they both have cherished. Kingston’s Aunt vilified and despised by villagers for her supposed immorality is described as a gentle happy woman, the apple of her father's eye, a loving woman, a mother who didn’t abandon her child. The men Sanders knew, who stole all the pleasures in the world, live with the privilege of hernias, finicky backs , missing fingers, bent backs, “hands tattooed with scars”. The poignancy of these characters comes from their reality as the antithesis of what society has labeled them as. It strikes the reader, makes them understand what the writers have being trying convey, an understanding of the vast inequity of these…

Tragedy and the Common Man in Hamlet

Arthur Miller notes that, “The tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing—his sense of personal dignity” (1). This characteristic seen in most tragedies is definitely evident in the character of Prince Hamlet in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. The moment that Hamlet learns from the ghost that Claudius has committed regicide, his goal becomes clear: he has to avenge the death of his father by murdering his uncle. Hamlet could not stand idly by while the assassin of his saintly father had an affair with his mother Gertrude and lied to the people of Denmark. However, Hamlet’s tragic flaw prevents him from taking action quickly. During the course of the play, the prince notes that he has yet to perform any action against his uncle Claudius, and he wonders why this is. The character of Hamlet is prone to reasoning and long soliloquies, not action; this, in my opinion, is his tragic flaw.…

Great Gatsby, the Failure of the American Dream

Fitzgerald expresses his commentary on the American dream through the character of Myrtle. She is an example of how the political and social ideals of American culture conflict in a way that corrupts the American dream into a nightmare. Contrary to what the American dream represents, there are indeed fine class distinctions within American society. With these come strict social boundaries that cannot be crossed. It is almost as if there are unspoken rules understood by low and high classed individuals alike. Myrtle Wilson is no exception. She represents the low and ignorant class of America. Instead of abiding by these unspoken rules, she attempts to break the social barriers and pursue wealth and power by any means necessary. Using her sexuality in her affair with Tom, she becomes deceitful by abandoning and forgetting her own social foundation. The illicit ways Myrtle attempts to breach the impenetrable barriers of the class system are meant to disgust the reader. Nick notices the sham when he accompanies Tom to meet her, and spends the night drinking with them.…

The Crucible

Result of her pride. Provide another quote from the play, page number, and explanation. *…

An Inspector Calls, Social Responsibility

There is also an interesting point when Mr. Birling talks openly of Gerald and Sheila’s social divide, “Your mother…feels you might have done better for yourself socially [than Sheila]”. This shows that the Birlings and the Crofts, both rich families, opinion that social class is everything and cannot be overlooked. Overall, the evening is almost entirely focused on society itself and how to ‘properly’ act in it.…

Romeo and Juliet Essay

Throughout this essay I will analyse characterisation, stagecraft, language and context when exploring the themes of the play and when considering what the audience learns as a result.…

When Cecilia and Robbie meet again, their relationship is very “awkward”. Cecilia shows her irritation when Robbie approaches her outside, nonetheless her irritation does not stop her from secretly admiring his handsome built. Cecilia takes a vase outside to fill at the fountain, Robbie offers to help but she refuses. She is angry with him because of what happened two days before when Robbie had arrived at the front door to borrow a book from the library, and “took his socks off” so as not to dirty the floor since Betty was cleaning the…

Related Topics

• Working class
• Middle class
• Social class
• Bourgeoisie
• Social classes

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When

• Rebecca Knight

Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances call for different approaches.

Research suggests that the most effective leaders adapt their style to different circumstances — be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a turn in the business cycle. But what if you feel like you’re not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one? In this article, the author outlines the six leadership styles Daniel Goleman first introduced in his 2000 HBR article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” and explains when to use each one. The good news is that personality is not destiny. Even if you’re naturally introverted or you tend to be driven by data and analysis rather than emotion, you can still learn how to adapt different leadership styles to organize, motivate, and direct your team.

Much has been written about common leadership styles and how to identify the right style for you, whether it’s transactional or transformational, bureaucratic or laissez-faire. But according to Daniel Goleman, a psychologist best known for his work on emotional intelligence, “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

Partner Center