Language

Style of language

The novel Atonement by Ian McEwan is written in a formal and literary style, characterized by its precision and attention to detail, as well as its ability to convey complex emotions and psychological states. 

The vocabulary is at times grandiose and includes many complex words which reflect Briony’s status as a creative writer with a flair for the dramatic. For example, constructions such as “the thrill of its pageantry and banqueting” (Chapter 1, 42%), “savour the vile piquancy of the moment” (Chapter 1, 79%), or “a quiet and malign thickening” (Part III, 1%) can seem at times overblown in the context of the mundane scenarios they are used in. These are particularly common in the sections that present Briony’s point of view. In contrast, the second part, which presents Robbie’s perspective during the war, is written in a more restrained and precise style, which reflects Robbie’s tense and desperate situation. 

Intertextuality 

The novel begins by discussing Briony’s play The Trials of Arabella, which highlights from the start that storytelling and writing is an important theme of the novel. Throughout the novel, there are a number of intertextual references to many other literary works. For example, Robbie and Cecilia discuss Samuel Richardson's 1748 novel Clarissa and Cecilia says she prefers novelist Henry Fielding instead. The main character of Richardson’s Clarissa is seduced and then raped by a w...