Atonement - Themes & more

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Atonement - title

The novel Atonement is not only about atonement,

the novel IS atonement.

Discuss & explain

Atonement - Literature & writing

Atonement is all about literature and writing.

Explain by giving examples from the novel

(Briony in parts I/II/III; Cecilia & Robbie; any others?)

Practice writing a literary essay of 500 to 700 words

Ian McEwan's novel Atonement is a about the power of storytelling.

Frame narrative

A story enclosed or embedded within a story 

i.e.  Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights (1847) employs a narrative structure in which the main action is relayed at second hand through an enclosing frame story.

How does this apply to Atonement?

Narrative Perspective

Vantage point/Point of view from which events of a story are filtered 

and then relayed to the audience

e.g. 

first person (use of I, me, us, we etc.) -> subjective

third person (use of he, she, they etc.) - third person limited; third person omniscient

www.studysmarter.us

Perspective is crucial in Atonement

Find examples in the novel to support the above

Atonement - Paul Marshal

Paul Marshal is the real villain in the novel.

Why do you (not) agree?

Atonement - The Power of Storytelling

Why does the novel Atonement stand for the 

Power of Storytelling?

Explain and give examples from the novel

Atonement - Briony

Briony is a liar who makes up her own version of reality instead of sticking to the facts

Why do you (not) agree?

Atonement - Briony

How does Briony develop throughout Atonement?

Discuss this for Briony as a person and as a writer

Atonement - 4 parts

Part I - pre-war

Part II - 2nd WW - Dunkirk (Robbie)

Part III - 2nd WW - London (Briony)

London, 1999

Atonement - characters

Apart from Briony, Robbie, Cecilia,

which other character(s) play(s) an important role when it comes to 

atonement/repenting your sins (or not)?

Atonement - Themes

Perspective 

Guilt

Class 

Lost Innocence 

The Unchangeable Past 

Stories & Literature - The power of storytelling(-writing)

Atonement - lost innocence

As a result of Briony's lie in part 1, 

Briony and the people around her lose their innocence.

Innocence is related to guiltlessness or lack of knowledge. 

In literature, a character may lose his innocence by becoming aware of the world around him or by doing something that evokes guilt.

Explain & give examples from the novel