Atonement: A Journey Through Storyline, Characters, and Themes

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Today's class

Wuthering Heights / Daisy (next week)

Period 4 & test

Atonement & Literary analysis essay

CPE tests reading & use of English

Atonement: A Journey Through Storyline, Characters, and Themes

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson you will be able to understand more about the storyline, characters and themes of 

the novel Atonement.

At the end of the lesson you will be able to understand more about a literary analysis essay

Introduce the learning objective and explain the importance of understanding these three elements of the novel.

What do you already know about the novel Atonement?

What does Atonement/ to atone
mean?

Atonement

Secular definition

The concept of a person taking action to correct previous wrongdoing on their part, either through direct action to undo the consequences of that act, equivalent action to do good for others, or some other expression of feelings of remorse.

Christian definition

Atonement in Christianity, in western Christian theology, describes beliefs that human beings can be reconciled to God through Christ's sacrificial suffering and death.[6] Atonement refers to the forgiving or pardoning of sin in general and original sin in particular through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus

Atonement: something that you do to show that you are sorry for something bad that you did

Introduce the learning objective and explain the importance of understanding these three elements of the novel.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Introduction

Atonement is a novel written by Ian McEwan and was first published in 2001. 

It is set in the 20th century and follows the life of a young girl named Briony Tallis.

Introduce the novel and provide basic information on its author and setting.

Plot Overview

The novel is divided into three parts, each focusing on a different period of time (pre-war/war/post-war). 

It begins in 1935 in England and ends in 1999 in London (shorter fourth part).

Provide an overview of the novel's plot and structure.

Briony Tallis is a literary, self-important 13-year-old who lives in an English country estate in 1935. 

Her cousins, 15-year-old Lola Quincey and 9-year-old twins Jackson and Pierrot Quincey, are coming to stay with the Tallises because their parents are embroiled in a divorce. Meanwhile, Briony’s older sister Cecilia holds unresolved romantic feelings for Robbie Turner, the Tallises’ gardener (Robbie’s romantic feelings for Cecilia, meanwhile, are passionately resolved). Thanks to the Tallises’ funding, Robbie studies with Cecilia at Cambridge and plans to become a doctor. 

From a window of the estate, Briony witnesses the two of them accidentally break a family heirloom vase in front of a fountain. When Cecilia removes her clothes in front of Robbie to retrieve the shards from the fountain, Briony starts to think Robbie is a threat to her sister.

 Later, Robbie gives Briony a letter of apology to give to Cecilia, but accidentally hands her a vulgar draft instead. Briony reads the letter and becomes convinced Robbie is a menace. When Robbie realizes his error, he goes to Cecilia to apologize. This apology turns to passionate lovemaking in the family library. Briony enters the room and misinterprets the situation

Briony Tallis

Briony Tallis is the 13-year-old protagonist of the novel. 

She witnesses a sexual encounter between her older sister and a family friend. This event sets off a chain of events that affects the rest of her life.

Introduce the main character and provide information on her role in the novel.

Cecilia Tallis

Cecilia Tallis is Briony's older sister. She is intelligent and independent, but struggles with her feelings towards Robbie Turner.

Introduce one of the main supporting characters and provide information on her relationship with the protagonist.

Robbie Turner

Robbie Turner is the family friend who has a sexual encounter with Cecilia. 

He is falsely accused of a crime and 

spends several years in prison.

Introduce another main supporting character and provide information on his role in the novel.

Themes:  Guilt

 

Guilt is a major theme, as the characters Briony and Lola struggle with the consequences of their actions.

Introduce the two main themes of the novel and explain their importance.

Themes: Perception 

An individual’s perspective inevitably shapes his or her reality.

 At various points throughout the novel, McEwan filters the narrative through a particular character’s point of view. 

By juxtaposing the distinct, and frequently conflicting, ways his characters understand the world, the author illustrates that each individual’s reality is as much a product of their own biases, assumptions, and limited knowledge as it is a reflection of an objective, external truth.

Introduce the third major theme of the novel and explain its importance.

Themes: Stories & Literature

The Trials of Arabella

Atonement

Introduce the third major theme of the novel and explain its importance.

Symbolism: The Fountain and the Typewriter

The fountain and the typewriter are two symbols that are used throughout the novel. 

Introduce two symbols that are used in the novel and explain their meanings.

Symbolism: The Trials of Arabella

The Trials of Arabella is the title of the play that Briony composes at the beginning of the novel and  directs Lola, Jackson, and Pierrot to perform with her. 

At the end of the book, a new generation of Briony’s family performs the play to commemorate Briony’s 70th birthday. 

Introduce another important symbol in the novel and explain its significance.

Film Adaptation

Atonement was adapted into a film in 2007, directed by Joe Wright and starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.

Provide information on the film adaptation and its reception.

Conclusion

Atonement is a complex and thought-provoking novel that explores themes of guilt, perception, and story telling. 

A must-read for anyone interested in literature and the human condition.

Summarize the key points of the lesson and encourage students to read the novel.

Formal argumentative essay

A focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays, however, most essays at university level are formal and argumentative—they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

• Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
• Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
• Revision: Check the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

Summarize the key points of the lesson and encourage students to read the novel.

Literary analysis essay

Literary analysis means closely studying a text, interpreting its meanings, and exploring why the author made certain choices. It can be applied to any type of literature (novels, short stories, plays, poems etc.) 

It is not a rhetorical analysis, nor is it just a summary of the plot or a book review. Instead, it is a type of argumentative essay where you need to analyze elements such as the language, perspective, and structure of the text, and explain how the author uses literary devices to create effects and convey ideas.

An argumentatieve and literary analysis essay both need a thesis statement to keep the essay focused. 

An introduction ending in the thesis statement to show what the essay will focus on.

A main body, divided into (3) paragraphs, that builds an argument using evidence from the text.

A conclusion that clearly states the main point that you have shown with your analysis.

Summarize the key points of the lesson and encourage students to read the novel.

www.scribbr.com

Preparing the literary essay

• Reread the slides on Atonement (characters, themes, symbols)
• Write an essay outline first: 5 paragraphs 

1 = intro starting with hook to engage reader ending in thesis; 

2 = first argument + explain + examples novel; 

3 = second argument + explain + examples novel; 

4 = third argument + explain +examples novel; 

5 = conclusion summarizing & rewording arguments 

• Draw a mindmap of/Make a list of important events supporting the themes
  
• Draw a mindmap of/Make a list of important events involving the symbols
  
• Draw a mindmap of the main characters and the main events in  your novel

Writing the essay

• Use an essay lay-out: intro (1 paragraph) / body (3 paragraphs) / conclusion (1 paragraph)

• Use formal language (not: gonna, wanna, way too much, etc)
  

• Avoid  personal pronouns I/you/we
  

• Use linking words (also, moreover, even though, nonetheless etc.) to logically connect paragraphs
  

• Use examples from the novel to support your arguments (1 argument per paragraph)
  

• Go in-depth/show understanding (interpretation), but keep it formal 

Essay: The Maze runner relates to real life

INTRO

The Maze runner is a novel about a dystopian society because the inhabitants are there against their own will. They were placed in the maze by the creators, who survey them constantly. There are things outside the walls waiting to hurt them, and eventually they try to escape. WICKED has total control over Thomas and his friends. When trying to escape they see that the world  has been destroyed and is now totally controlled by WICKED.  The Maze runner is an example of a totalitarian society and criticizes the political, social and climatic aspects of society. It relates to real life.

POINT 1 - First of all,  the lives of all the inhabitants in the maze are controlled by the government and are not allowed to have an individual life. EXPLAIN

 Give EXAMPLES from the novel (WICKED). Give an example of a real life controlling government (i.e. Russia, China, etc.)(the Maze - they cannot escape; they need each other to escape, have to sacrifice individuals; even when they fall in love, they have to go with the group etc.)

.

Essay: The Maze runner relates to real life

POINT 2 - Second of all, the Maze runner shows how Thomas and his friends initially blindly believe WICKED to be helpful and are not critical of the government. EXPLAIN. Give EXAMPLES from the novel 

POINT3 Last but not least, the Maze Runner shows how the world has turned into a wasteland, scorched by hot climate. It has become a place where humans can no longer live.

EXPLAIN. Give EXAMPLES from the novel and give examples from real life

In conclusion we can say that the Maze runner is about a dystopian society and criticizes the political, social and climatic aspects of our society.  SUMMARIZE the 3 points (one sentence per point) and finish with one-two sentences how the Maze runner illustrates what could happen to today's world.

Formal essay outline

Before you start writing the formal essay, write an outline with general info + the arguments

Intro: general info on storyline + thesis statement at the end of the introduction

Middle part: paragraphs 2/3/4 -> start with a linking word, each paragraph contains at least one argument and examples from the novel to support/prove the thesis statement

Conclusion: summarize the 3 arguments and repeat your thesis statement

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.