Date of Award
Spring 5-11-2024
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
English and Linguistics
Department Chair or Program Director
Richards, Gary
First Advisor
Haffey, Kate
Major or Concentration
English
Abstract
This paper examines the religious imagery in Atonement by Ian McEwan through a close reading of the structure and main characters Briony, Cecilia and Robbie. The novel is deeply concerned with questions of sin and redemption, which intersect with religious symbolism and metafiction to create the story. This paper reads Briony as both a creator god and a failed Christ figure and Cecilia and Robbie as Adam and Eve characters, showing the text’s self-awareness through its use of narrative to create meaning. It argues that the field of religious studies offers many theories and terms that enrich the field of literary analysis, such as ritual, sacred vs. profane space and time, and creature consciousness, all exhibited in Atonement. Finally, the paper explores the relationship between literature and religion’s meaning-making myth, all of which parallel the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Recommended Citation
Robinson, Tabitha, "Fallen Creator and Failed Christ: An Exploration of Religious Imagery and Metafiction in Ian McEwan’s Atonement" (2024). Student Research Submissions. 595.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/595