Mc Ewan's Atonement As A Villain

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Recommended: An essay on the idea of atonement

Throughout McEwan’s postmodern novel, Atonement, he is able to explore what a villain is, the different types of villains and the actions and characteristics that result in a character being classed as a ‘Villain’. Through the exploration of the characters Briony Tallis, Paul Marshall, Robbie Turner and the absent parent figures in the novel, Mc Ewan is able to present the idea that not all villains are the same and that despite some people having a good nature that the commitment of crimes are inevitable within society, relating back to ideas of original sin. By using focalisation through different characters through the novel, McEwan is able to give the reader an insight into why these characters commit villainous actions and also provides …show more content…

As Briony is the narrator of the novel and the title of the is novel ‘atonement’, it is indicated that she committed a crime that she is attempting to repent for in order to rid herself of the guilt she is feeling about it. This therefore also indicates that she must have carried out villainous action. Many readers would see Briony’s wrong accusation as her biggest villainous action as this action causes pain for both Cecilia and Robbie as it prevents them from being together. This action impacted a lot of the other characters’ lives and therefore can be viewed as villainous. However, other readers may see her as an innocent villain as she was only young and therefore may not have understood the consequences of her actions but still has to spend the rest of her life feeling guilty about it and trying to atone for them. The ambiguity around whether or not to feel sympathy for Briony or whether to view her as a villain shows the duplicity around ‘villains’ in crime novels and allows McEwan with an opportunity to make his readers question the features and aspects of a person that result in them being classed as a

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