Atonement

Summary

«Atonement» is a novel by British author Ian McEwan, depicting the dramatic events unfolding in England before and during World War II. The story begins in the summer of 1935 at the country home of the Tallis family. The main character, Briony Tallis, a thirteen-year-old girl with a passion for literature, witnesses a series of events that she misinterprets due to her young age and misunderstanding of adult relationships. This leads to tragic consequences: Briony accuses her sister's lover, Robbie Turner, of a crime he did not commit. This accusation changes the lives of all three characters forever. The novel explores themes of guilt, atonement, and the complexities of human relationships through the lens of wartime and post-war periods, showing how Briony's childhood mistake defines her entire life. In an attempt to atone for her guilt, as an adult, she becomes a writer and tries to recreate the events of those years in her works, hoping for forgiveness and personal liberation from her sense of guilt.