Atonement
Characters
Briony Tallis
In chapter one, we as the audience witness the controlling nature of Briony who writes her play ‘trials of arabella’
with the sole intention of “guiding” her brother Leon away from “his carless selection of girlfriends” and instead
towards “the right form of wife.” This information however is tragic when considering her dismissive attitude towards
her cousin's enduring domestic tragedy and neglect, and instead her greater concern regarding the romantic life of her
brother who personifies freedom. This quotation characterises and foreshadows the obsessive nature of Briony who
contradicts reality with her fiction and need for control; this would later enable her miscarriages of justice to occur.
Although Briony believes this is right, she is removing her brother's individualism enabling herself the ability to
control him as if he was a character.
“Her play was not for her cousins, it was for her brother, to celebrate his return, provoke his admiration and guide him away
for his careless selection of girlfriends, towards the right form of wife.”
Briony’s room and its significance
McEwan uses Briony’s room to develop her characterisation, as although it appears neat and ordered, in actuality, it
possesses disorder and questionable possessions such as the skull of a squirrel. This is reflective of Briony who,
although appears naive and innocent, possesses a dark consciousness. Her room shows her further desire for control as
she comments that “the world” should reflect the order of her room, an idea somewhat questionable considering her
desperation for something to occur. Her room is used by McEwan to characterise her as a “controlling demon” ,
foreshadowing her criminal and diabolic behaviour, and showing how her need for order enables her to be
criminalised.
“She was one of those children possessed by a desire to have the world just so. Where her sister’s room was a stew of
unclosed books, unfolded clothes, unemptied ashtrays, Briony’s was shrine to her controlling demon; the model farm spread
across a deep window ledge consisted of unusual animals, but all facing one way, towards their owner.”
Chapter one, part one
Irony
This chapter is laced with irony: suggesting there are “no secrets” and that Briony “does not have it in her to be cruel.”
Both quotations were discovered to be false when considering the occupation and mysterious character of Jack Tallis,
the future secrets regarding justice and Briony’s later deception and criminal actions by interfering with law for selfish
and prideful motives. Furthermore, the tales of Briony juxtaposes the content of Atonement as they “embrace the
principles of justice” with the “morally dubious” being punished and the virtuous receiving “reward” of marriage; this
creates tragic irony as Briony seemingly mocks the perfection of fiction by demonstrating its incompatibility with
reality - a crime to the reader who feels betrayed by the cruelty of reality.
Despite the suffering of her cousins, she dismisses their sadness and claims “her play was not for her cousins” who are
forced to participate. This shows how she is more intrigued by the ideas of what could benefit her rather than the
kindness of humanity.
The reader is made aware that the intention of Briony’s melodrama is to “inspire…terror, relief and instruction in that
order.” This is an allusion to Aristotle's ‘poetics’, a critical text on writing drama composed in Athens during the 4th
century. The quotation is inspired by his belief that the nature of tragedy is to inspire terror and pity on the safe
environment of whether literature has a duty if instruction also has a long history. The chapter is used to install
Briony’s literary ambition and introduce the arrival of her cousins. The novel is characterised as having a slow start
where ‘not much happens’ which then dramatises the intensity of the novel’s internal conflict as well as the fast arrest
of Robbie.
Within this scene, evidence of Briony’s literary ambition is hinted at in quotations such as “two-day tempest of
composition” and “the distinct North” which foreshadows the cliche of children novels which Briony would have
been reading as a child. The style which characterises this chapter’s passage presented from Briony’s perspective is
self-regarding and flamboyant. The chapter ends with Briony’s literary pretension being evident in the presentation of
the construction of her melodrama, ‘the trials of Arabella.’ Her active imagination is presented once again as she
, vividly fantasies about the romantic effect which the play will have in the encouragement to persuade Leon to settle
down so she can obtain the role as his bridesmaid.
Briony’s life is presented as being orderly and harmonious which although appears dull, is idealistic to her ideology
which is satisfied by order. Although she enjoys a social advancement, her life is nevertheless uneventful… seemingly
as the following line is ominous “none of this was particularly an affliction; or rather, it appeared so only in retrospect,
once a solution had been found.” This makes the reader aware that something is about to occur, however it
nevertheless is cryptic. This introduces narrative tension following a slow start.
Briony’s desire and favour of order is reflected through both her room and is also evident in the pattern of her
narratives. Briony’s obsession of writing stories in which “the whole matter [is] sealed off at both ends” dramatises the
actuality of the plot and how with the two lovers, she attempts to “seal” off their lives through the existence of part
three, however in reality, this is only the work of fiction because in life, order is not continuous.
There is irony in Briony's worry that the reader would speculate about her representing herself because we later
discover that this is indeed the older Briony writing about her younger self. There is irony, too, in the assertions that
“she did not have it in her to be cruel” and that her ordered life denied her any possibility of wrongdoing. Although
Briony is not intentionally cruel, her naivety and entitlement is harmful to those who surround her. Her attempts to
create order in her life is self destructive and enables chaos to descend.
The ominous narrator describes Briony as if they have an insight of her mental state. An idea which foreshadows the
novel’s false voice. The reader understands Briony’s dissatisfaction with her seemingly unappealing life which lacks
thrill. The fact that nobody is interested in her possession of a squirrel’s skull emphasises her childlike nature which
demands attention (most likely influenced by her lack of parental support.) The narrator uses words and phrases that
sound like they are that of Briony’s which is an occurring theme through the novel’s narrative.
The novel’s language suggests the concealment of energy and the potential for disaster - although the narrator suggests
that “mayhem”, “destruction”, “chaotic”, “cruel” are not evident in this seemingly ordinary life, the reader still is
aware that these energies are present however just concealed there release having catastrophic consequences.
Chapter two, part one
This quotation recognises a mutual connection between the future lovers, however the vagueness of “something”
enables uncertainty and a sense of naivety to the romanticism of their bond. This quotation foreshadows how their
love will evolve as something seemingly must occur to clarify such “something” and what it represents. The use of
“perverse” suggests a sense of irritation as she recognises the limitation of their discussions and suggestively longs for
communication more complex than merely the weather. It suggests a desire for music; or, suggestively it shows a
sense of guilt due to how although they were once childhood friends, university life has enabled them to become
divided.
“There was something between them, and even she had to acknowledge that a tame remark about weather sounded
perverse.” .
Cecilia is the focaliser of this chapter, and where Briony is confident, Cecilia expresses a sense of uncertainty and
insecurity (“had she sounded condescending?”); she is sharply observing the world around her (“she thought she saw a
touch of irritation”), contrasting with Briony who is blind. Ironically, Cecilia’s voice appears more humane than
Briony’s as she is more self conscious, and unconfident, although in reality, it is not even her own.
Uncle Clem’s vase
The destruction of the vase symbolically demonstrates the cracks which are beginning to become apparent in the
Tallis’ relation as a family. The vase represents unity in the family as a cherished ornament honouring the legacy of
Clem who was gifted the sentimental piece as a thank you for his actions during world war one. Ironically, the vase is
stuck back together, however not practically maintaining whole, showing that the conflict of the family remains
unfixed - an idea evident when considering Cecilia died without making amends with her family. Furthermore, the
vase may represent the destructive nature of the lover’s romance which is damaged before it has the ability to
blossom.
