’Self-reflection’ can be defined as a provisional means of exploration based upon the assertion that reality consists of objects and events. As they are clear in “human consciousness” and not of anything independent of human conscious experience, where self becomes an object to oneself. The novels give a notion of a “self-reflectivity is “Atonement” by Ian McEwan and by Margaret Atwood. Both these novels are associated with palpable revelations of self-reflection.
Ian McEwan’s novel “Atonement” declared “a conversation with modernism and its dereliction of duty,” as a result he draws attention to his trepidation for modern history and the moral principles of fiction. The novel insinuates that the novel’s modernist inter-text is a “pre-text”. This is a fabricated form of text, which is fictitious to repress the real reason. For self-examination and atonement, a reliving of the author’s early, ethically disturbing works. Atonement revises modernism and McEwan’s early fiction in the reversionary sense of the word. By trying to ask for forgiveness and to mark and name and positively atone for the misdemeanour’s of the past.
In addition to “Briony Tallis” the protagonist’s one lie, has clearly sent a ripple effect through the other characters. The characters in the novel have also been provided with an opportunity to atone for their lives. The character of “Robbie” is the most expressive about guilt, regret and salvation as he thinks about it the way to “Dunkirk”. His wishes were simple enough, to be acquitted of Lola's rape.
The complete clearance of his name would be considered as a form of atonement it would set him on a new life.
However a touch more difficulty develops inside Robbie, an awareness that a larger and more imp...
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...oughout the first section of the novel. Later when she takes to writing books of her own, and tells the story of Robbie and Cecilia in her own, modern, way, she reverses her childhood belief in the simplicity and unity of interpretation. Now she believes that interpretations are many and ambiguous, that she as a writer has no business supplying clear messages to her readers.
The protagonist draws back out of dread of misunderstanding again and proposes only vagueness. She lastly comes to believe that this is not enough and, that her lack of enthusiasm to understand is more an act of weakness. The author McEwan explores the fragile nature of interpretation and the boundaries further than which readers are no longer justified in making insinuation and verdicts. This message resides at the very heart of “Atonement” which is born from “self-reflective.”
Simon Wiesenthal’s book The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness spoke to me about the question of forgiveness and repentance. Simon Wiesenthal was a Holocaust prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. He experienced many brutal and uneasy experiences that no human being should experience in their lifetime and bear to live with it. Death, suffering, and despair were common to Simon Wiesenthal that he questioned his own religious faith because he asks why would his God allow the Holocaust happen to his people to be slaughter and not do anything to save them. During Simon Wiesenthal time as a Jewish Holocaust, Simon was invited to a military hospital where a dying Nazi SS officer wanted to have a conversation. The Nazi SS officer told Simon his story of his life and confesses to Simon of his horrific war crimes. Ultimately, the SS officer wanted forgiveness for what he done to Simon’s Jewish people. Simon Wiesenthal could not respond to his request, because he did not know what to do with a war criminal that participate in mass genocide to Simon’s people. Simon Wiesenthal lives throughout his life on asking the same crucial question, “What would I have done?” (Wiesenthal 98). If the readers would be on the exact situation as Simon was
A person’s life is often a journey of study and learning from errors and mistakes made in the past. In both James Joyce’s Araby and John Updike’s A&P, the main characters, subjected to the events of their respective stories, are forced to reflect upon their actions which failed to accomplish their original goal in impressing another character. Evidently, there is a similar thematic element that emerges from incidents in both short stories, which show maturity as an arduous process of learning from failures and a loss of innocence. By analyzing the consequences of the interaction of each main character; the Narrator in Araby and Sammy in A&P; and their persons of infatuation, Mangan’s sister
This coursework focuses on how each character contributes to the suicide of a poor girl Eva Smith/Daisy Renton.
The novel complicates its own understanding of women
Her unusual way of portraying issues throughout this book gives her writing a sense of mysterious intellect; so much so one won’t fully understand it until they have finished the entire novel. This starting paragraph, for example, “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some, they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon. Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget.
During this essay, the trail of Socrates found in the Apology of Plato will be reviewed. What will be looked at during this review is how well Socrates rebuts the charges made against him. We will also talk about if Socrates made the right decision to not escape prison with Crito. Socrates was a very intelligent man; this is why this review is so critical. In Plato’s Apology, it seems that overall Socrates did an effective job using the 3 acts of the mind.
...reader to walk away, giving anyone the chance who is willing to stand against the injustices of society. She uses her own personal afflictions in order to better create a stronger, individualized woman after the acquisition of hope. She uses her story; she enlists the help of the reader to put justice and hope back into society. Therefore, "Let us begin."
"Atonement" by Ian McEwan Atonement comes from an "at onement", the idea being that penance and suffering allows us to be "at one" with God or ourselves. The central theme of atonement is that of seeking forgiveness. This is manifested through the characters and their actions. In the book "Atonement" by Ian McEwan, the act carried out by Briony sets of a chain of events, for which either atonement is sought or society seeks atonement from. Briony's character is described as being compulsively orderly, "She was one of those children possessed by a desire to have the world just so."
Through the reflection of my ‘living theory’ research narrated in later chapters the process of reflection and reflexivity has the potential to lead to insight about something I may have not noticed at the time, pinpointing perhaps further details to be explored and examined. For example through the application of reflexivity I have found a method of looking closely at my actions and emotions of the time. It has given me a vehicle to challenge further my living theory journal notes and/or conclusions which I begin to narrate in chapter four. I expect the outcome of such a challenge may allow me to be more critical of my own actions coming as close as possible to an awareness of the way I may have been experienced and perceived by
Alongside a plot that deals with a series of unhappy events, Ian McEwan’s Atonement explores the concept of reality in the fragile equilibrium of human existence. McEwan’s mastery of narration helps to shape his reader’s comprehension that reality is subjective. McEwan’s employment of shifting focalization and presentation of a single event approached from several character perspectives and use of both third and first person narration all contribute to this conclusion.
Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement depicts a story told from the perspectives of three of the main characters: Briony Tallis, Robbie Turner, and Cecelia Tallis. Briony is the ultimate focus of the novel because her mission is atonement. She almost single handedly convicted Robbie for the rape of her cousin, Lola Quincey. She is seeking atonement for this horrible crime she committed against Robbie. However, Briony is never able to achieve atonement. Regardless of the efforts Briony makes, she cannot truly achieve atonement. Through Briony’s inability to achieve atonement, McEwan illustrates that atonement can only be sought after, never achieved.
Ian McEwan illustrates a profound theme that builds details throughout the novel Atonement, the use of guilt and the quest for atonement are used with in the novel to convey the central dynamic aspect in the novel. McEwan constructs the emotion of guilt that is explored through the main character, Briony Tallis. The transition of child and entering the adult world, focus on the behavior and motivation of the young narrator Briony. Briony writes passages that entail her attempt to wash away her guilt as well find forgiveness for her sins. In which Briony ruined the lives and the happiness of her sister, Cecilia, and her lover Robbie. The reality of the events, attempts to achieve forgiveness for her actions. She is unable to understand the consequences of the actions as a child but grows to develop the understanding of the consequence with age. McEwan exemplifies an emotional novel that alters reality as he amplifies the creative acts of literature. In this essay I will be arguing that, the power of guilt prevents people from moving on from obstacles that hold them in the past.
As it mentioned above this reflective essay is based on the main theory on Reflection, which is the Honey and Mumford’s learning styles that was developed from Kolb’s work. This is based on four stages of specific styles of learning:
...of being a sexual maniac (McEwan 166). When the police question Briony she tells them it was Robbie, "I know it was him" (McEwan 181). It seems that Briony has a difficult time differentiating between knowing and actually seeing. Briony did not even think twice that maybe she misinterpreted Robbie and Cecilia's whole relationship, but instead she jumped to conclusion. Briony used her freedom of expression too much of her advantage. She used her imagination to describe these events and write the story in a way she would hope for them to play out. Briony was too young to understand the difference between reality and imagination and this led her not to consider the consequences of her actions. All that mattered to Briony was that she got attention from those around her. Briony had committed a serious crime and her actions led innocent Robbie to go to jail (McEwan 186).
Confession is one of the most challenging sacraments to engage in on a psychological level. It is often painful because it infers that one has done something wrong and it asks one to examine their lives and the mistakes they have made during it. However, integrated into to the Sacrament of Reconciliation is forgiveness. The peace and comfort given by confession outweigh the pain and guilt experienced be before it. The three main aspects of Reconciliation I will focus on is guilt, confessing, and forgiveness. I will show how man is naturally inclined to the aspect, how the aspect ties into the sacrament, and the benefits of partaking in the sacrament.