Atonement Response

Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement depicts a story told from the perspectives of three of the main characters: Briony Tallis, Robbie Turner, and Cecelia Tallis. Briony is the ultimate focus of the novel because her mission is atonement. She almost single handedly convicted Robbie for the rape of her cousin, Lola Quincey. She is seeking atonement for this horrible crime she committed against Robbie. However, Briony is never able to achieve atonement. Regardless of the efforts Briony makes, she cannot truly achieve atonement. Through Briony’s inability to achieve atonement, McEwan illustrates that atonement can only be sought after, never achieved.

Briony attempts to achieve atonement in many ways. Her first attempt is through a confrontation with Cecelia and Robbie. At this point in the novel, Briony has just come from Lola’s and Paul Marshall’s wedding and has dropped by Cecelia’s residence. Initially, the confrontation is confined to Briony and Cecelia. Briony describes the feelings of tension between them and she knows that they are merely dancing around the elephant in the room: “There was a hardness in her tone that warned Briony off asking about Robbie” (McEwan 313). Briony follows Cecelia up to her flat and they finally begin to address the major issue concerning Robbie. At this point, Robbie emerges from the bedroom. Briony is relieved that he is alive yet terrified of confronting him. Briony states to Cecelia, “What I did was terrible, I don’t expect you to forgive me” to which Cecelia replies, “Don’t worry…I won’t ever forgive you” (318). Without any chance of forgiveness, Briony still stays and agrees to carry out Robbie and Cecelia’s requests. In the London, 1999 section, an older Briony reveals that this meeting with Cecel...

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...plation, that there is no atonement for her. She concludes that “It was always an impossible task, and that was precisely the point. The attempt was all” (351). Briony realizes that there is no atonement for her. Also, through this statement, McEwan illustrates that atonement can be pursued but never achieved.

For Briony, the possibility of atonement does not exist. She makes many attempts to achieve it, but she is caught in an endless pursuit. Briony realizes that she destroyed Robbie’s and Cecelia’s lives and she can never undo the damage. Even though she has been diagnosed with vascular dementia which will make her forget everything she ever knew, forgetting will not grant her true atonement. Through Briony’s inability to obtain atonement, McEwan asserts that atonement is an unreachable goal.

Works Cited

McEwan, Ian. Atonement. New York: Anchor, 2003. Print.