Briony Tallis In Atonement Essay

At best, the actions of Briony Tallis in Ian McEwan’s Atonement can be described as highly questionable. Using little more than a single piece of unconfirmed, circumstantial evidence, she sends Robbie Turner – who is later revealed to be innocent – to several years in prison. This action alone can be used to label Briony as immoral and possibly evil, but it is not her only action that could be categorized as thus. If Briony were able to apologize and make amends for her actions after she realized their inherent wrong, she would not be an immoral character, but she is never able to make said reparations. This failure to atone for her wrongdoing further classifies Briony as an immoral character. Despite all of these corrupt actions, to the reader, Briony does not appear to be an evil character. Because of the way in which McEwan crafts his story, Briony is shown to be a complex and dynamic character who is deserving of some degree of sympathy from the reader. Based on her actions alone, Briony Tallis from Ian McEwan’s Atonement can be considered immoral, but the full presentation of this character may make readers feel otherwise. McEwan’s diverse presentation of Briony Tallis begins in the first pages of the novel; most of the beginning of the book is spent establishing Briony’s mindset. Based on her actions and thoughts, it soon becomes apparent that Briony has a highly oversimplified interpretation of the

Despite this, McEwan goes out of his way to make the reader sympathetic of Briony by painstakingly describing her mindset and unclear interpretations of certain events. These events lead Briony to believe she is doing a positive good and not committing a wrong. The sympathy that is created with this immoral character strengthens the ending of the book, allowing McEwan to state that it is possible to partially, but not wholly atone for a past