Briony’s Predicament in Atonement
WangRumeng

Xi’an International Studies University, Xi’an Shaanxi, 710128;

Abstract：Atonement is one of McEwan’s masterpieces. The author of the novel reveals that Briony made a wrong judgment about her surroundings when she was a girl due to the lack of education and management of her parents. The cognitive bias caused by the lack of education and the girls’ wrong control of their emotions led to the final tragedy. Based on literary ethical criticism, this paper analyzes the reasons why Briony falsely accused Robbie when she was young from the perspectives of family, reason and self.

Key words: McEwan; Atonement; sense; self

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