earticle

영어

The purpose of this paper is to examine Briony’s moral awakening about her wrongs of past and the limitation of atonement the imaginative narrative has. Briony’s limited knowledge and misunderstanding of Robbie result in negative consequences. Ian McEwan examines false consciousness of upper class in Atonement in the era before the Second World War. Also, he tries to show the fundamental questions about narrative approach toward truth. McEwan describes Briony’s ethical growth as the work progresses, and at the same time, continuously tries to discuss the reliability of her atonement. Although this work resulted in tragedy, McEwan tries to expand individual atonement into the historical and social dimensions. McEwan suggests the clear narratives with the story of empathy with others and the importance of self-reflection by expanding this issue to social and historical views. He takes the sympathy and the ethical responsibility for Other in British society and history. In conclusion, McEwan urges people to progress toward open narratives from closed ones and stresses the open relationship based on empathy. After all, the reason why he tries to expand the narrative is that he had the sympathy and the moral responsibility for the social-economic Other in British society.