8.1.2
Metanarrative, Circular Structure & Ending
The Epilogue and Circular Structure in Atonement
The Epilogue and Circular Structure in Atonement
The epilogue to Atonement is written in the form of a biographical note by Briony, written in the style of a journal entry. The novel can be said to have a circular structure.
Epilogue creates a metanarrative
Epilogue creates a metanarrative
- By including the epilogue, McEwan creates a metanarrative (a narrative which plays with ideas of story-telling).
- At the centre of this is the conceit that Parts One, Two and Three of Atonement have been ‘written’ by Briony.
Revelation in the epilogue
Revelation in the epilogue
- The epilogue then adds another layer of narrative to the novel, ‘revealing’ that Briony has reshaped historical fact into a story which suits her own ends: to provide “hope” and “satisfaction” for her readers (p371).
- This encourages readers to consider the concepts of truth, perception and reality, ideas which McEwan has explored throughout the novel.
Circular structure: Tallis house
Circular structure: Tallis house
- The novel can be said to have a circular structure in that the narrative ends where it begins – in the Tallis family home, but now (in 1999) Tilney’s hotel.
Symmetry: The Trials of Arabella
Symmetry: The Trials of Arabella
- There is a further sense of symmetry in that the closing pages of the novel revolve around a performance of The Trials of Arabella; the play that the 13-year-old Briony had just finished writing in Chapter 1 of the novel.
- This structural feature allows McEwan to contrast the budding teenage writer with the successful author who directly narrates the epilogue. Moreover, we see how characters from Part One have aged and perhaps feel the absence of the certain key characters (Robbie and Cecilia) all the more.
Reactions to the ending
Reactions to the ending
- Some readers may see this ending to the novel as providing a satisfying resolution.
- However, others may suspect that Briony is again manipulating her readers by providing them with such a conveniently neat and symmetrical ending.
Structure of the Ending of Atonement
Structure of the Ending of Atonement
Briony's apology in Part Three and the revelations about her fictional narrative in Part Four are significant plot points.
Briony's apology in Part Three
Briony's apology in Part Three
- Part Three, the conclusion of Briony’s novel, ends with Briony at last apologising to her sister and Robbie for the “terrible distress” she has caused (p348).
- Briony feels that Robbie’s response is “almost conciliatory” - hinting at the possibility of forgiveness, or "atonement", for Briony.
Revelation in Part Four
Revelation in Part Four
- However, in Part Four we learn that the meeting between Briony, Cecilia and Robbie in fact never happened and is purely an invention of the 77-year-old Briony.
- The climactic moment is a fiction. This in turn prompts readers to re-evaluate what they have just read: are the resolutions provided by Briony/McEwan another trick, or “crime”, against the reader?
Ending to Part Two
Ending to Part Two
- Briony (and McEwan) can ‘trick’ the reader into believing that Robbie has survived the evacuation of Dunkirk because of the ambiguous ending to Part Two.
- The narrative, which in Robbie’s delirium is beginning to resemble a stream-of-consciousness, simply ends with Robbie telling Nettle that he “won’t hear another word” from him (p265).
- These words have a darkly ironic undertone when we learn in Part Four that Robbie in fact dies from septicaemia caused by his wound (p370).
1Introduction to Atonement
1.1Introduction & Background to Atonement
1.2Focus of Your Exam: Crime Texts
2Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part One
2.6Chapter 6
2.10Chapter 10
2.11Chapter 11
2.12Chapter 12
2.13Chapter 13
2.14Chapter 14
3Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Two
3.1Pages 191-201: To the Farmhouse
3.2Pages 202-213: The Night in the Barn
3.3Pages 214-226: The Attack
3.4Pages 226-234: Robbie's Reflections
3.5Pages 234-246: To the Bridge over the Canal
3.6Pages 246-254: Arrival at Dunkirk
3.7Pages 254-265: To the Cellar
4Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Three
4.1Pages 269-277: London, 1940
4.2Pages 277-286: Briony as Writer
4.3Pages 287-315: Victims of War
4.4Pages 315-327: Lola & Paul Marshall’s Wedding
4.5Pages 328-349: The Visit
5Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Four
5.1Epilogue: London, 1999 - Pages 353-371
6Key Character Profiles
6.1Briony Tallis
6.2Robbie Turner
6.3Cecilia Tallis
6.5Paul Marshall
6.6Emily Tallis
7Key Themes
7.1Introduction to Crime Texts
7.2Crimes in Atonement
7.3Criminals in Atonement
7.4Victims in Atonement
7.5Detection in Atonement
7.6Settings in Atonement
7.7Guilt & Punishment in Atonement
8Writing Techniques
9Context
9.1Historical Context
9.2Social Context
9.3Literary Context
10Critical Debates
10.1Marxist Literary Criticism
Jump to other topics
1Introduction to Atonement
1.1Introduction & Background to Atonement
1.2Focus of Your Exam: Crime Texts
2Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part One
2.6Chapter 6
2.10Chapter 10
2.11Chapter 11
2.12Chapter 12
2.13Chapter 13
2.14Chapter 14
3Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Two
3.1Pages 191-201: To the Farmhouse
3.2Pages 202-213: The Night in the Barn
3.3Pages 214-226: The Attack
3.4Pages 226-234: Robbie's Reflections
3.5Pages 234-246: To the Bridge over the Canal
3.6Pages 246-254: Arrival at Dunkirk
3.7Pages 254-265: To the Cellar
4Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Three
4.1Pages 269-277: London, 1940
4.2Pages 277-286: Briony as Writer
4.3Pages 287-315: Victims of War
4.4Pages 315-327: Lola & Paul Marshall’s Wedding
4.5Pages 328-349: The Visit
5Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Four
5.1Epilogue: London, 1999 - Pages 353-371
6Key Character Profiles
6.1Briony Tallis
6.2Robbie Turner
6.3Cecilia Tallis
6.5Paul Marshall
6.6Emily Tallis
7Key Themes
7.1Introduction to Crime Texts
7.2Crimes in Atonement
7.3Criminals in Atonement
7.4Victims in Atonement
7.5Detection in Atonement
7.6Settings in Atonement
7.7Guilt & Punishment in Atonement
8Writing Techniques
9Context
9.1Historical Context
9.2Social Context
9.3Literary Context
10Critical Debates
10.1Marxist Literary Criticism
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