25. Contemporary anglo-american literature

25) Contemporary Anglo-American Literature

State: Ian McEwan: Atonement

- at the beginning you should always give literary/historical/social context:

Ian Mc Ewan: Atonement

- writing 1970s, still producing new novels

- one of the most read, prolific writers, many of his books were adapted into films – The Cement Garden, On Chesil Beach, Atonement, The Child in the time

- writes about relationships, family/intimate relationships – they don’t function well, dysfunctional

- he tries to reflect the lifestyle, standards of living, social class

- Cement Garden – living standards of family in suburbs, typical features

- Beach – same thing, 1950s/60s couple marries – discover it will never work

- Atonement – from 1935 to WWII., then around 1970s

- nickname Ian Macabre – for graphic description of intimate relationships

PLOT

- Briony thought she sees something

- 3 parts – story told by Briony´s perspective 1. B age of 13, 2. Adult 3. Old

- she becomes a nurse because she feels guilty

- shows how the war was

- she wants to punish herself for what she has done – a penance

- is it the war novel? War only from Robbie’s storyline and Briony’s I nthe hospital

- war serves as a motif and setting, war novel – theme

- theme – Atonement – to atone – penance yourself to feel better, because you did something, mental thing, mental penance, more about the way you think of it

- social classes – if Robbie would be from upper class it will be different, he is not trusted enough because he is peasent

- confession – to confess – movie – in the book, she writes the book – explains everything, confesses through writing

- we realize what really happen In the end – you believe that the story is how writer tells it – in the end we realize it is different

- Robbie recruited to war – was in prison

- why? Doesn’t want to be known as person who raped little girl, as a good British citizen he should go, he feels humiliated – there is nothing to lose

- motifs – war

- literature about literature – fiction about fiction

- how readership is influenced by the book – plot twist at the very end

- Briony – 13 – ambitious, well behaved, self-concerned, feels need to step into things

- Paul Marshall – chocolate factory, rapist, chocktaile, name – Amo bars - symbolic name, ammunition (střelivo), amo – friends – friendship

- Cecile – in the begging she does not know what she wants, doesn’t realize she is in love with Robbie – hate/love, becomes head nurse – to get out of the family/house, rid of family ties, penance for the family – inappropriate for girl of her status, maybe to see Robbie

- library scene – another thing Briony sees and thing she understands but doesn´t

- cunt word, c word, wrong letter

- Lola and Paul

- do you think she is the one to be blamed? She is a child, she doesn’t know, doesn’t understand

- parents – she was raised in these rules, upbringing

- she could ask her sister about the situation