Social class

Social class is a significant theme in Atonement by Ian McEwan. Throughout the novel, the characters are aware of their social standing, and this affects their interactions with others and the decisions they make.

At the beginning of the novel, the Tallis family is presented as upper-middle-class, and their home is described as an opulent estate. This setting emphasizes the family's wealth and privilege. Robbie, on the other hand, comes from a working-class background, and his family works for the Tallises: his mother is their cleaning lady, and his father was their gardener. Though he grows up with the Tallis children and he receives a prestigious education with the financial support of Jack Tallis, Robbie ultimately still belongs to a different social cla...