Unreliable Narrative In Atonement

Ian McEwan is one of the most influential English writers in contemporary world. He is famous for his minute yet detached depiction of the unease and fear lurking in the mind of modern people. The themes he explores in his works, are most often concerned with human nature like violence, death, good and evil. He is also famous for his sophisticated manipulation of various writing techniques.My thesis tries to explore from the perspective of unreliable narrative that how this technique makes multi-layered interpretation of the novel possible.My thesis interprets Atonement from two perspectives in light of the narratological theory of two representatives of the Chicago School—Wayne Booth and James Phelan. Firstly, the realization of unreliable narration in Atonement leads readers to reinterpret the text and, consequently, affects their ethical judgments and emotions towards the protagonist. While reading the first three parts of the novel, readers are guided by the third-person narrator throughout the development of events. However, at the end of the book they are taken aback by the fact that the unreliable narrator is actually the aged Briony. The observation and judgment of the aged Briony on her childhood self is embedded in the text. In the process of reinterpreting the story, there is a change in readers'attitude towards the protagonist. Secondly, unreliable narration may provoke thoughts on novel writing in readers. After finishing reading the novel, readers get to know that many dialogues and scenes in the first three parts are imagined by Briony. In fact, Briony can be seen as the spokesperson for McEwan as a writer. By the use of the character Briony and her novel, McEwan expresses, explicitly or implicitly, his views on several topics concerning novel creation. The paper comes to a conclusion that the multi-layered interpretation caused by unreliable narration makes Atonement a masterpiece.My thesis introduces the term of"unreliable narration"into text interpretation to explore the artistic mechanism of Atonement. The term of"unreliable narration"can not only help readers understand the theme of"atonement"more fully, but also prompt readers to think about another theme the novel has tried to explore.