Home / Current Issue / Paper 1704539
Fictional and Metafictional Strategies in Ian Mcewan?s Novel Atonement (2001)
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: English Literature
Abstract
Ian McEwan's adaptation traces the evolution of twentieth-century fiction from modernist a morality to post modern relativism and unifies their common recognition of narrative subjectivity. But the novel uses these forms of subjectivity and moves beyond them as part of an ethically engaged study of memory and history. On the other hand, McEwan's author character Briony fails to ethically grapple with historical memory, but comforts actual historical memory. McEwan's novel itself, which holds Briony's work at a critical distance, offers no consolation. Rather, it creates an experience where readers must move past Briony's short comings and embrace a more nuanced acceptance of the trauma, war damage and gender violence of history: a way to truly do justice to historical memory. Keywords: Atonement, Ian McEwan, story, ethics, consolation, history.
Keywords
Forgiveness, Sin, Philosophy, Morality, Sacrifice, Ethics
References
[1] McEwan, Ian. Atonement. London: Vintage Books, 2001.
[2] Caruth, Cathy. "Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, History and Narrative." Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, History and Narrative. John Hopkins University Press, 1996. 153.
[3] Schonfelder, Christa. "The orizing Trauma Romantic and Postmodern Perspectives on Mental Wounds."Schonfelder, Christa. Words and Wounds. Transcript Verlag, 2013. 31.
[4] Atonement. Dir. JoeWright. Perf. Keira Knightly, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Vanessa Redgrave, and Anthony Minghella. Universal, 2007. Film.
[5] Bordwell, David. Narration in the Fiction Film. London: Routledge, 1985. Print. Cohen, David. S. “Atonement.”Script. 14: 1 (2008):38-43. Print.
How to cite this paper
@article{1704539,
author = {Keethana M, Dr. A. Kanimozhi},
title = {Fictional and Metafictional Strategies in Ian Mcewan?s Novel Atonement (2001)},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2023},
volume = {6},
number = {11},
pages = {790-792},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1704539.pdf},
abstract = {Ian McEwan's adaptation traces the evolution of twentieth-century fiction from modernist a morality to post modern relativism and unifies their common recognition of narrative subjectivity. But the novel uses these forms of subjectivity and moves beyond them as part of an ethically engaged study of memory and history. On the other hand, McEwan's author character Briony fails to ethically grapple with historical memory, but comforts actual historical memory. McEwan's novel itself, which holds Briony's work at a critical distance, offers no consolation. Rather, it creates an experience where readers must move past Briony's short comings and embrace a more nuanced acceptance of the trauma, war damage and gender violence of history: a way to truly do justice to historical memory. Keywords: Atonement, Ian McEwan, story, ethics, consolation, history.},
keywords = {Forgiveness, Sin, Philosophy, Morality, Sacrifice, Ethics},
month = {May},
}