Ian McEwan

In life, a person is bound to make a couple poor choices that they should have reconsidered, and in the book, Atonement by Ian McEwan, readers get to see what actions some characters take and what the consequence of those actions are. Atonement was published in the year, 2001, and took place during the 1930’s, World War II, and present day England; yet, the book was written in a modern way that made it easier for younger readers to connect to the book. The plot is about Briony Tallis, her older…

Clive. That’s why I’m rolling up your sleeve, silly. Now, Paul wants to show you what he really thinks of your work by sticking a huge needle in your arm.’” (McEwan, 168) “From the perspective of the Dutch doctor and nurse, the composer lifted his head and, before closing his eyes, seemed to attempt, from his pillow, the most modest of bows.” (McEwan, 169) “Vernon would never tell anyone about the scorching pain in his upper arm, and that he had just begun to grasp, though feebly, where he…

After reading a novel such as Atonement, one is forced to question oneself, one’s past mistakes, what one did in an attempt to right one’s wrongdoings and whether or not one’s efforts will be enough. Guilt and regret can often fill oneself after making such mistake and in an effort to rid oneself of the guilt, often an apology is made to the one the wrongdoing was made against. However, amendments are not always enough; apologies do not erase scars and often times, not even the guilt from the…

fact. “It was Robbie”.”(McEwan 156), with that statement everyone believed that Robbie did this and not the real perpetrator because Robbie’s social status compared to the successful businessman Paul Marshall was way lower. This leads to Robbie being imprisoned for a few years until he was released in 1940 to fight in the…

People are influencers. There are people who influence what makeup you buy, what shows you watch, what food you eat. These are through their character that they can form influence. In this novel Atonement by Ian McEwan, Briony is the influencer. Though some people believe Robbie was the main influence of the story, Briony was not only the center but every choice she made had an impact on individuals and the plot. Robbie is the main influence of this book. Robbie was always with the Tallis family…

In the passages from Ian McEwan’s Atonement and Paul Horgan’s Mountain Standard Time a group of people form into a mob in order to target someone who they believe has wronged them. While both passages have a lot in common, there are also many differences such as the behavior of the mob and the events that lead to the scenes of violence. Mountain Standard Time is set during the First World War in New Mexico and the people accuse a man of being a German spy, eventually leading to the proposal of a…

Vera Brittain, in her memoir, Testament of Youth, analyzes and describes her experiences being a young lady during the First World War. Her memoir consists of clips of letters, from her brother (Edward) and her fiancé (Roland), and clips of her journal in order to better understand her thoughts and feelings concerning both the war and her personal life. Brittain’s purpose is to try to unravel all the feelings she has, while trying to understand them, because, at the time, it was difficult for…

Ian McEwan chose Matthew Palmer’s “Dover Beach” because the poem mirrors Henry Perowne’s experiences during one fateful day. The poem is about a man who is grounded in religion and believes in the existence of god and the goodness of people. Religion speaks to tpoet because it provides him with meaning, and a sense of what is right and wrong. But, throughout the poem, Palmer begins to question his own faith and wonder if there really is a god. Henry Perowne, the protagonist in Saturday, finds…

them. This journey can be seen as the result of personal growth, a result of pain or acceptance of consequences. As you will soon see, from comparative texts such as the play called Cosi by Louis Nowra, and a picture book called Rose Blanche by Ian McEwan, the experience and extent of the inner pain may differ to ultimately end in a similar kind of journey or one completely different. The main character undergoing this journey in the play Cosi, is Lewis. In the 1790s this opera was considered…

However, literature allows us the opportunity to inspect and understand the way a single story can affect the actions and experiences of a set of characters, through understanding what they feel and how they react. Through the texts Atonement, by Ian McEwan, Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Harry Potter…