Closing Thoughts

At first, Atonement may have been the most boring book I have ever picked up. The beginning was slow, and thought the setting was meant to represent peace, I still dreaded every time I had to read the book. It had done too much to describe the situation, and I felt like the things that they mentioned were pointless and redundant. The idea of Briony being such a perfectionist was emphasized too often, and I didn’t pick up any significance from that characteristic.

Now towards the ending, when I read about Briony’s struggles as a nurse, I find that the perfectionist that Briony is struggles to deal with reality. She can’t handle a world that she doesn’t control, which is why she writes so much. Briony can’t deal with her world not going accordingly to what she wanted, and at the end of the story, she reveals that the previous story was written by her, to keep an account of her life. She does this because her memory is slipping away from dementia. She mentions that writers will never reach atonement, and this shows that she has identified a weakness within herself, where she will never learn how to accept reality. She can only reach atonement through writing and manipulation for the real world.

This weakness is also shown with the scene where she apologizes to Robbie and Cecelia. This scene could have been where she has reached atonement, but then it is later revealed that this scene is completely made up, and that both Robbie and Cecelia had died in the war. She was not able to face Cecelia and apologize to her, until her death. I found this theme interesting because at first, it seems like Briony is such a strong character in the beginning, directing a play and then making strong accusations against Robbie. Through her exposure to the horrors of war, and her inability to handle the crowd of incoming patients, this shows that Briony has depended so much on her writing that she has never developed atonement in the end. She mentions that atonement, is like, at-one-ment, and I get the sense that she never clears her conscience. She will never be at one. Others may argue that she is at one because she has identified her weakness. I like how this ending is open for interpretation, and it does get a sense of contentment from the Briony. Its a satisfying ending, but it still leaves a great lasting impression.

I have found this book extremely satisfying because it explores several interesting themes. I like the idea of expectation vs. reality, and how reality is unable to meet Briony’s expectations. I found myself making different reactions through every single event that occurs in Briony’s life. Whenever something doesn’t go as planned for Briony, I found myself enjoying her discontent and her “chaos of the mind.” It was interesting to see how her perfect life became convoluted. Throughout the book, I observed Briony’s growth as a character, and then I began to like her. I liked how desperate she was for forgiveness. I also liked how she applied her own personal guilt into helping others. Briony grew up into a great character, and she is one to remember.

Another theme that I enjoyed was the idea of the loss of innocence. So many scenes in the book could represent Briony’s loss of innocence and naivety. One could say that the scene where Briony sees Robbie and Cecelia at the fountain as the scene where she changes her simple views of the world. Others could argue that it is when she sees Robbie and Cecelia in the Library. I would say that it is when she becomes a nurse and suddenly realizes that she is not as ready for the world as she thinks that she is.

One last theme that stood out was the injustice of the classes. The fact that Robbie was blamed for the rape of Lola is extremely unfair. Robbie is such a great character, that you fall in love with him. I agreed with his cynicism of the justice system once he was arrested for the rape of Lola. He and another servant were the only people blamed for the rape, and they were both poor and “inferior” to that of the Paul Marshall, who was the real offender. Paul Marshall was filthy rich, and he wasn’t even questioned for his actions at the time. This shows that the classes show natural disdain for each other. Another injustice is that Robbie was imprisoned based on the “shaky testimony of an unstable 13 year old girl.” I found that outrageous, and I hated Briony for it. At the end of the story, When I found out that Robbie died, I both loved and hated Briony. Briony had indirectly caused Robbie’s death by forcing him into the war. I also loved her because she had tried to make up for her sin in the best she could. She wrote a story. I found that ironic, because she used her imagination to get Robbie in trouble, and attempts to use it again to atone for it.

I enjoy that the story is like a bible, with the idea of atonement and making up for your sins and realizing your mistakes. It is also free for interpretation. It is also written by a “deity” almost, with the ability to change the story and reality itself. Writers are like gods, and this is something that Ian McEwan mentions at the end of the story. He feels that since they are like gods, they will never reach atonement.

The book was written beautifully. The detail was irritating at first, because it moves so slowly. The beginning did not live up to my expectations. I had everyone telling me that it was such an amazing book and that I would love it. For the first 50 pages, it was almost like a poem. It was just a lot of imagery, and I found nothing about the major themes that was suggested on the back of the book. I didn’t like that I didn’t fully understand what was going on in the beginning of the story, because I always thought, “what is the point of all of this description?” I also found it hard to visualize and picture what was going on in the book because I was so bored. I felt like the imagery was distracting from the actual story.

As I finished the book, I realized that there are many symbols in the beginning that play a big role in the book later on. For example, the vase that Robbie and Cecelia broke was a hugely important metaphor for the war. It had survived World War I, and the family prized it for it’s luck. When the vase breaks, it foreshadows the oncoming disaster that befalls the entire family. It is like this book is meant for rereading. I will definitely pick up this book again, it deserves a thorough, great read, and I didn’t get to appreciate every single amazing thing that McEwan instilled in this masterpiece. I will try to focus on the important symbols and literary devices and not focus so much on the imagery. This is one of the best books I have ever read. I may even consider watching the movie. I would love to see all the imagery that was put into this book as a film.

Entry 4: Further forms of comprehension

A prominent theme in Atonement that I have found to be significantly developing so far is basically Expectation VS. Reality. Robbie’s arrest brings Cecelia to leave her family with almost no communication at all. She has been so disappointed and disgusted with her family that she has basically nothing. She has lost that zest of character that was so prominent in the first part of the story. Her character is so lost without love, and I find it extremely frustrating myself. She has no desire or ambition anymore, especially with her awkward meeting with Robbie. It frustrates me how she fails to go after what she had wanted. This first example of Expectation VS. Reality was Cecelia and her frustration with her family. It basically proves that she was expecting that they stand up for him, since they had known him for so long. Robbie was arrested with no hesitation or investigation. This would also lead to the exploration of Subjective VS. Objective, and misinterpretation. A lot of the story is a failure to properly comprehend the real world. Cecelia has failed to understand that she needs her family, and she is too caught up in her “love” for Robbie that she doesn’t even talk to them anymore. I believe that their love wasn’t meant to be, and since they were so young, they were just caught up in the passion. Another example of this is when Robbie contemplates why Briony had denounced him. He takes it as when she had a school girl crush on him, she felt betrayed when she went with Cecelia. I find myself extremely frustrated with the huge misunderstandings, but I also enjoy the examination of the cognitive process of the characters in their pensive state. Their thoughts are revealed through letters and flashbacks, which are a great way of showing.

One thing that has changed a lot is the setting. It is extremely different from the preceding section. It has changed from the peaceful Tallis residence to the horrors of war. I believe that this foreshadows an upcoming tragedy.

1. This has a huge emphasis of the study of the subconscious done by Sigmund Frued. I felt that this was a hugely important theme, as it was mentioned sometimes, and hugely insinuated throughout several events. There were many demonstrations of defense mechanisms of the subconscious, especially with Briony's lie to the police. Another example was when Cecelia projects her rage and loneliness to seclude herself from her family. This separation and neglecting of her family is prominent in the second section, as she is so angered by their role in Robbie's arrest she chooses to be alone. Another picture I have is of the scene in V for Vendetta where Evey finally has an epiphany in the rain. The rain represents cleansing, which I find significant to Briony's attempt at atonement. There is also a picture of Robbie resting and thinking from the movie, which is the closing scene in the section. This is hugely significant to me because I feel like this serves as a closing to Robbie's character, as he is reflecting back on his life. I predict that he may die. The song I chose, Hero, by Regina Spektor, has some significant lyrics. One line says, "we're going to these meetings, but we're not doing any meeting." I found this similar to the story when Robbie and Cecelia have an awkward meeting, but fail to reignite that passion that once was. Also, there are some implications of rejection and an attempt for domination and anger.

Entry 3: Update on Reflections

Something that has surprised me is that Briony would go so far as to denounce Robbie for raping Lola. I thought that someone like Briony would be objective about the situation, just like the police chief, but Briony has allowed her wild imagination and biased thoughts against Robbie to influence her choices. I was delighted that Cecelia and Robbie has expressed their feelings for each other. I cannot believe how quickly they have moved from friends to passionate lovers. I was disappointed in the fact that Robbie was blamed for the rape. I figure that he is innocent because it is very apparent that Briony had allowed her imagination to run wild. Even though I was upset with his denouncement and blame, it benefits the storyline very well. It frames the theme of growing up very well because you notice Briony's attempt at being grown up and adult-like, yet she is unable to rationalize like an adult. Another thing that was delightful was the amazing imagery. McEwan does a wonderful job of describing the Tallis's home and the garden, so well that it brings an air of serenity and peace. This will play a huge part for the upcoming war.
http://faculty.washington.edu/qtaylor/a_us_history/1900_2000_timeline.htm

This link describes the events leading up to the war. I find it interesting because it has a lot of tension between countries that lead up to eventually World War II, but there is barely an allusion to the war yet. The Tallis's house is peaceful, despite the chaotic time period that they live in. I thought that the setting was a good use of juxtaposition, as it shows a huge example of naivety from a small scale to a larger one. For instance, Briony is shown to be naive as a character, but the family itself is so closed off from the world at this point. I think it shows that there can be a world without chaos, but not completely with peace. The Tallis's may not be greatly affected by the war yet, but they are suffering from domestic issues. I believe that having the book set in this time period also greatly affects the feelings that the family has against Robbie. I think that they turned against him because he came from a sort of impoverished household, or he did not live up to their own standards, because of prejudices between the social classes that was common during the time. Emily expresses a sort of dislike for her husband's admiration for Robbie, and obviously does not approve of him.

Although it seems obvious to have chosen a clip from the movie, this video has done a great job of capturing other themes besides Cecelia and Robbie's love. It captures the serenity and beauty of the setting. Also, seeing the family's facial expression when seeing Robbie again after his denouncement is a great way of showing the family's ease of turning against him. Not only that, it efficiently displays Briony's resentment of Robbie. I believe the actors were a great choice, as their infliction and tone when they had professed their love for each other was exactly the way I had pictured it, obvious and simple. "I love you" can be too dramatic, but in this case, it was perfect, fitting, expected, but not overdone or cliched. The music choice also foreshadows a tragedy. This video makes me excited to read the upcoming section.

First Impressions: Entry Two

Briony Tallis is the first character to be introduced. She has a strong passion for writing that is almost an obsession. The beginning of the story starts out of the development of her voice, or style, through her writing. Her mother serves as a source of encouragement and In the first chapter, Briony struggles over her casting decisions for her play The Trials of Arabella. She is forced to cast her cousins, as no one else is available to act in the play. She regretfully casts her older cousin, Lola Quincey as the main character Arabella. She doesn't want Lola to be Arabella because she subconsciously wanted to be Arabella. She felt that Arabella was herself, with her thoughts and emotions. She thought that Lola and her twin brothers were going to ruin her play. Briony has written the play for her older brother, Leon Tallis and wanted it to give a message for him to settle down and marry through the theme of the play. Leon Tallis is returning home for a visit and is to bring home his friend Paul Marshall. Meanwhile, Briony's older sister Cecelia, struggles with her feelings over the family's childhood friend, Robbie Turner. They have long ignored each other, but all of a sudden, they feel tense and awkward around each other. Cecelia nor Robbie can interpret this uncomfortable relationship. Cecelia is trying to fill the family's valuable antique vase with water over the garden's fountain. Robbie suddenly appears and their conversation evaporate as usual into silence. In an attempt to make up for it, he feels obligated to help her with the vase. A struggle for possession of the vase leads to its breaking and sinking and Cecelia strips down to her underwear in order to retrieve the vase. Robbie stares at her awkwardly when she emerges from the pool of water. All the while, Briony has witnessed this moment and is confused by its meaning. She struggles to understand the motives of her sister suddenly stripping her clothes off in front of Robbie and is uncomfortable with what she has seen. Robbie later contemplates his feelings over her and tries to make amends for breaking the vase. He writes an apology letter, and before he can stop himself, he writes a phrase of sexual intentions. This suggests his subconscious desire to be with Cecelia. He suddenly panics as he realizes that he mistakenly gave this letter to Briony.

From the synopsis on the back of the book, it made it seem like a huge conflict would occur early on in the story, but it was extremely slow in beginning of the book. This was extremely disappointing, because Ian McEwan was recognized as the "Jane Austen" of our era. The only thing that was good about the slow beginning is that Ian McEwan is allowing it to grow so gradually and smoothly that you are so intrigued when the slightest thing happens. The beginning of the story may be the most boring start of a book I have every read, but it surprised me how hooked I was when the first conflict arises between Cecelia and Robbie. Another thing that intrigued me was the fact that I pay more attention to Cecelia and Robbie than to the main character, Briony. Briony comes off as a prima donna to me. Her point of view overdramatized everything that happens. I saw this as a weird way of writing, and kind of boring as everything was overanalyzed and explained to the slightest motive. She analyzes her cousin, Lola to the slightest movement and comes off as slightly cynical. The point of view proved ironic to the events because Briony comes off as knowing everything and the purpose of everything, but she fails to understand why Cecelia had to strip down and dive into the pool. This was surprising how innocent and naive that she is. One part of the story that I liked was when Robbie expressed a desire for Cecelia. This was a classic tale of an awkward childhood friendship developing into a love story. I found this a refreshing part of the story, because I enjoy a cliche tale now and then, but it was also unique. Robbie had a unique way of expressing his feelings for her because at first it was just insinuated from his actions and it was quite obvious that they had some sort of romantic tension. It was so relieving, like the suspense has disappeared, to finally see that they are moving up in their relationship status. Robbie's freudian slip in his letter shows his shy personality, and it has made me grow fond of him. He also gives off the feeling of innocence. When I think of Robbie, I think of a shy, cute man who fumbles upon his words and can't talk to the girl he likes. I think it's adorable and I can't wait to see where the story is going. Ian McEwan's writing style finally works with the scene, as it shows Robbie's thought process in writing the letter. The deep analysis of the character's mind is very clever and has given the biggest insight on a character's personality in a book I've read so far.

I predict that Briony will definitely read the letter that Robbie has shown her. Briony is such a curious character, and this is very apparent in the way she observes everything. She will read the letter, and with her cynic nature and naive personality, she would misinterpret it. She would probably lose her respect for Robbie, taking the letter as perverted and creepy. She won't realize that it was the id of Robbie's consciousness to take over and it was just a simple mistake. I also predict that Cecelia will also realize her feelings for Robbie, because she is just as tense as he is around her. I believe that it is not just an infatuation, that it is love. The evidence I have for this is the way they think about each other, in the way that they think to the tiniest detail about each other's physique, actions, and personality. Robbie admires her blemishes and Cecelia loves his eyes. They are both very self-conscious around each other and over think the situation when their conversations are awkward. They also have known each other for their entire life, and they have suddenly began to notice each other with some romantic tension. This shows that they have a deeper connection and they already know each other well. I'm excited to see how the course of events will continue.