Literary Criticism on the Atonement Novel by Ian McEwan - Book Report/Review Example

A Complex, Tightly Woven Tale: Atonement by Ian McEwan Atonement, by Ian McEwan, is a novel of complex ideas with a richly developed plot. The writing can be seen from several viewpoints in literary theory. Expressively, the work is heavy in its commentary on the act of writing. The authors viewpoint on the difficult balance that must be struck between being omniscient and humble is characterized and examined. As intimate ideas of sexual understanding are viewed, the response of the reader plays a role in defining the current of consequences within the book. Universal themes and literary devices allow a more formalistic view of the writing. While different viewpoints of literary criticism may be utilized to examine the writing in Atonement, the cohesion of a complex and riveting story engages the reader in an experience of storytelling that has depth and impact. In the novel, Atonement, one sees strong examples of the expressive literary theory. As the author writes a story that begins with a passion of writing, the reader is aware that McEwan is undoubtedly reflecting his own take on the act of writing. At the end of the novel the character of Briony proposes the following: “The problem these fifty-nine years has been this: how can a novelist achieve atonement when, with her absolute power of deciding outcomes, she is also God?” (McEwan, p. 310) This expression is foreshadowed by the control that Briony tries to assert by writing her play in the beginning of the book. In her play “Trials of Arabella”, Briony is not only attempting to control the production of the play, but she is attempting to control her brother by directing a cautionary tale towards him. She sees herself as a liberator as she puts before him the folly of his ways and seeks to instruct him to make better choices. It is Briony’s attempts to control and manipulate the world around her that expresses the paradox of the writer. The reader sees in Briony reflections of the writer McEwan. As Briony bemoans her dissatisfaction because she is not getting the results that she seeks, the audience can hear the frustration of the writer expressing the difficulty of trying to manipulate the lives of his characters, despite how they might take over for themselves from time to time. This, of course, is a reflection on real life - how one sees what should happen, only to find out that it isn’t what will happen at all. As she realizes that the dream of her play and of her absolute control over it was not going to be manifested, Briony, quite dramatically is described in affirming this relinquished control with the passage, “Yes. Unable to push her tongue against the word, Briony could only nod, and felt as she did so a sulky, self-annihilating compliance spreading across her skin and ballooning outward from it, darkening the room in throbs.” (McEwan, p. 14) With the entire episode of “The Trials of Arabella”, McEwan establishes both the arrogance and the humility that the act of writing can take on for the writer. As well, it describes the naïve arrogance with which the character Briony will attempt to manipulate the drama that is her world in contrast with the humility she will discover through the consequences of her actions. With the personal use of the writers experience reflected in the character of 1 Client Last Name Briony, McEwan embraces the expressive theory in writing of her. His voice for her expresses the experience of writing as it humbles the writer before the enormity of the task in telling a story. In the process of creating a personal expression, McEwan also develops the possibility of the reader to create a response to the writing and interpret the world using his or her own experiences. The early character of Briony can be seen from many perspectives. She can be interpreted as a spoiled, ridiculous child meddling in things far beyond her comprehension. She can also be seen as the inner need that everyone has to be recognized and heard. Briony is the expression of dramatic voice, while being the interpretive example of the worst of impetuous consequence. As chapter ten begins, Briony admits to herself that “The very complexity of her feelings confirmed, Briony in her view that she was entering an arena of adult emotion and dissembling from which her writing was bound to benefit.” (McEwan, p. 106) Here the reader is asked to see the world through Briony‘s eyes. The reader is, presumably, more experienced in the world and understands what has happened in a way that Briony is not mature enough to calculate. For Briony, she has seen things that do not make any sense outside of a black and white framework. For her, “the scene by the fountain, its air of ugly threat, and at the end, when both had gone their separate ways, the luminous absence shimmering above the wetness on the gravel - all this would have to be reconsidered.” (McEwan, p. 106). As McEwan writes of the experiences of Briony over her inability to interpret what she has witnessed, he must rely on the reader to interpret through a use of reader response theory, the whole of this confusion. 2 Client Last Name The reader must rely on personal understanding of what has transpired between Cecilia and Robbie in order to evaluate Briony’s comprehension of the episode. For instance, the level of offense the reader might take at the objectionable word in the note erroneously passed from Robbie to Cecelia might change the way in which the characters are interpreted. For instance, an eighteen year old girl reading the book might find the note insulting as the idea that this thought being passed to Cecelia might bring about a revulsion, while a forty year old woman might remember the innocence of forbidden words used to illicit shock and yearn for the passion expressed by Robbie. As well, those interpretations could be reversed. Stephen Bonnycastle says in his book, In Search of Authority: An Introduction Guide to Literary Theory, “We all have very different associations with the word ’river’, for instance, and when we encounter the word in a poem, those associations are activated.” (p. 174) While Briony’s interpretation of the events is paramount to the story, it is also falls upon the reader to insinuate personal experience on the story. The subtlety and nuance of sexual experience is so deeply personal that the interpretation of the events must rely on the personal viewpoint of the reader as much as on the viewpoints of the characters. From a formalistic theory of literature vantage point, the way in which McEwan uses grammar and syntax is developed to create a definitive undertone for the story and characters. As Briony is introduced, the writing has a tempo that is a bit staccato. One can feel her personality through the over use of adjectives and descriptivism in order to emit the precocious, dramatic personality of a thirteen year old girl embroiled in a 4 Client Last Name complexity of experiences that she was not yet able to process. “Briony was hardly to know it then, but this was the projects highest point of fulfillment. Nothing came near it for satisfaction, all else was dreams and frustration.” (McEwan, p. 4) The structure of the sentences are backwards at times, overly written much the way a pretentious thirteen year old girl full of drama might overwrite her work because she would believe it would lend itself to her sophistication and intelligence. On the other hand, when Cecelia is the main character of the writing, the sentences smooth out. They become a literary reflection of her character in that they are more sophisticated and see a level of maturity that is never quite reached in the writing that is from Briony’s vantage point. There is an air of sexuality about the writing of Cecelia. “She advanced into the room and thrust the flowers into the vase.” (McEwan, p. 21) The portions of the book that are told from Cecelia‘s point of view are told with emotions that are more clearly defined. “It was difficult to see because the roiling surface had yet to recover its tranquility and the turbulence was driven by the lingering spirit of her fury. He put his hand flat upon the surface, as though to quell it” (McEwan, p. 29) This quote is symbolic of the relationship that might have developed between Cecelia and Robbie. While the relationship of Robbie and Cecelia would never exist, its potential is clearly outlined by the way in which they interact. Her passions are quelled by his hand. All three types of literary theory exampled in this paper can be seen in the quote. The symbolism of the water and her affect upon it in comparison to his affect, one of fury then 5 Client Last Name calmed, can be an example of an expressive use of words to reflect a relationship that the writer has experienced. It can also by read by the audience and interpreted by their own experiences. As well, the universally symbolic nature of water and the well understood idea that it can be both active and still, can be used in a formalistic interpretation that touches on commonly understood symbols. Atonement is a rich novel that can example a broad variety of literary theory in order to examine its content. The story as described by Jane Mallison in her literary analysis of the book is: The one word title of the book raises unanswerable questions about how we handle our most serious mistakes. Can they ever be redeemed? Ultimately, though, this fascinating novel is about time, memory, and the ways in which writers of fiction are god-like in their creation of a paper world: “Let there be whatever I want there to be.“ ( Mallison, p. 111) As the story is told, the use of words creates the proper moods and enhances the characterizations. As the consequences of actions are played through, the dilemma of the writer is characterized. “The problem these fifty-nine years has been this: how can a novelist achieve atonement when, with her absolute power of deciding outcomes, she is also God?” (McEwan, p. 310) As the reader becomes involved and inserts his or her own experiences into the consequences of the novel, nuances of viewpoint change the way in which the reader will respond. As well, the universal symbolism that is utilizes helps to clearly define the journey that is undertaken. As the different literary theories are examined in context, the novel, Atonement, by Ian McEwan becomes a tapestry of emotional content that touches on universal themes. 6 Client Last Name Works Cited Bonnycastle, Stephen. (2002) In Search of Authority: An Introduction Guide to Literary Theory. Peterborough Ontario: Broadview Press. 6 December 2008. Mallison, Jane. (2008). Book Smart: Your Essential Reading List for Becoming a Literary Genius in 365 Days. New York: McGraw- Hill Professional. 05 December 2008. McEwan, Ian. Atonement. New York: Anchor Books, 2001. 7 Read More