Reconciliation and Redemption Through Rewriting the Past in Ian McEwan’s Atonement: A Moral Reckoning

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Author: Rashmi Verma

Keywords: Atonement, storytelling, redemption, narrative ethics, fiction and truth, memory and guilt

Abstract: Ian McEwan’s Atonement explores the complex relationship between fiction and reality, with a particular focus on how storytelling functions as a means of redemption and reconciliation. At the heart of the novel lies the character of Briony Tallis, whose wrongful accusation of rape disrupts the lives of several characters. As Briony grows older, she attempts to atone for her past actions by writing a novel that reimagines the events leading to the crime, attempting to craft a narrative in which justice prevails. This article examines the role of fiction and storytelling in the novel, arguing that McEwan uses these themes to explore the boundaries between imagination and truth, the ethical implications of revising history, and the ways in which writing can serve both as a tool for personal redemption and as a form of moral reckoning.

Article Info: Received: 19 Jul 2022; Received in revised form: 17 Aug 2022; Accepted: 20 Aug 2022; Available online: 30 Aug 2022

DOI: 10.22161/ijeel.1.3.6

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