Ian McEwan’s 2001 novel, Atonement, is about the need to atone for oneself. The story is set in 1935 England. Second World War England. France. And present-day England. It concerns an upper class girl who lies and destroys her lives. Briony Tallis, who was the sole accuser of Robbie’s rape on Lola, is the focus of this novel. Robbie and Cecilia were then both killed. The novel’s focus is on Briony Tallis, who accuse Robbie of raping her cousin Lola. This case led to the death of Cecilia and Robbie. Though imagination can influence thoughts and provide hope to some degree, there are many dangers associated with combining imagination and reality. This is because it creates a vicious circle of isolation that leads to the destruction and manipulation of facts.
Briony, thirteen years old at the time, was not mature enough to fully grasp adult life. Briony saw the episode with Robbie and Cecilia at the fountain, but she couldn’t hear them. This led to her misappropriation of her feelings. He stood with his head raised, feet apart. It was a proposal for marriage. Briony wouldn’t be surprised. The tale she wrote was about a woodcutter who saved a princess’ life from drowning. He then got married to her. Briony believed Robbie had proposed to Cecilia. She thought it was romantic. She thought Robbie was a supreme authority and forced Cecilia to get out of her clothes and drown. She thought Robbie was either threatening or blackmailing the sister she loved and had some power over her. Another episode that saw her imagination turn around many things. “He was so large and wild, Cecilia looked so thin and her shoulders were so bare that Bryony couldn’t believe what she could do as she moved towards them.” Cecilia saw Robbie and Cecilia making love in the library. This was her attack on her sister. Briony, realizing that she can’t comprehend everything, came up with a story about Robbie, where Robbie was perceived as a monster who tried to protect her fragile, weak sister. She turned her entire romantic lovemaking into a slap at her sister. We can see her as an imaginative little girl, and this showed her awareness of inadequacy. It was, however, a romance they were exchanging, according to their perceptions.
Briony was convinced Robbie was a manic, as Lola claimed. Briony had read a letter Robbie wrote to Lola that included the word ‘cunt. Briony was able to see Lola being attacked, but could not fully observe the incident because it had been dull. This led her to believe that Robbie was responsible for Lola’s rape. Robbie lost his reputation and life. Briony was also a big conflict in the Tallis family due to her imagination. Robbie, Cecilia and their love, Cecilia were split by her. Robbie was also taken into prison.
Briony, a nurse, became sorry for her mistake as a 13 year-old and began writing stories. The woman takes off her clothes and walks into the fountain, ready to find the broken pieces. It would be helpful if the girl watching didn’t realize that the vase was broken. It would make the situation even more mysterious if she submerged herself in water. These lines explain the story’s literary history and the narration style. She sent her impressions of Robbie and Cecilia at a fountain. But, she was told by the magazine that the storyline needed to be changed to make it more interesting. It asked her to examine the harm that Briony, the witness, could do to the lovers. It is clear that much of what we read was false, but the truths were altered.
Briony wrote the novel. The book was a summary of the Illusion’s story and storytelling. They were not there that year. My walk through London ended at Clapham Common. A cowardly Briony returned to the hospital, unable confronting her sister who had recently lost her brother. She imagined that she would meet Robbie and Cecilia at London’s 1940 year. She created fiction and manipulated facts to make the story more entertaining. She wanted to make the story more interesting and let people know what could have been. She brought back Robbie and Cecilia. The story ended with a happy ending for Robbie, Cecilia and her family. However, she did make a reference to the fact that they both died in World War II. She was aware that readers might become too involved in the story and get upset by the sad ending. She saw this as her way of atoning her self for the crime that she had committed. She wanted to make atonement and decide the outcome. She cannot be forgiven and atonement can only be obtained from the highest authority.
Briony, as a character, was very confounding. She couldn’t tell the difference between the real and imaginative worlds. Because imagination is largely a product of the inner self, it can overlook certain facts and details that can prove to be harmful. This is evident in the cases of Robbie and Cecilia’s deaths in war. As imagination can impact people’s opinions, imagination is a powerful tool. There are many dangers in confusing imagination with reality. This can lead to disconnection and destruction of lives, as well as isolation of families.