One of the
points that was brought up during discussion which was of most interest to me
was the comparison of Atonement to
other romantic stories, such as those written by Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is one of the most
well-known stories which Austen wrote. The characters and plot of this story
might be considered very similar to Atonement,
as it refers to war, conflicts of love, family, and society in general.
However, each point of conflict within the stories is romanticized, written out
as a thing of beauty to be overcome. Even the worst situations are played out in
a way that makes them seem more trivial by the end of the novel.
Cecelia and
Robbie can be seen as folds to Austen’s Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy.
They end up in love, though they come from two different degrees of society.
The reader can see that this love might be considered improper by many, which
merely increases the romantic nature of their engagement. In the beginning, the
female character seems indifferent to the male, avoiding him if possible. This
eventually leads to an unlikely romance. However, in Atonement, this develops early on, whereas the entirety of Pride and Prejudice follows this
development.
Seeing as
only 1/3 of Atonement follows the
traditional romantic plotline seen in Pride
and Prejudice, it is easy to understand how it might contain more detail.
As with most of Austen’s works, if not all, the ending sees the two main
characters happily married, despite their trials and tribulations, ending with
the quote “Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved
them; and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the
persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting
them” (Austen, 226). Atonement
ends much differently, with the love interests torn apart irreparably because
of Briony’s decision. (“She knew what was required of her. Not simply a letter,
but a new draft, an atonement, and she was ready to begin” (330).)In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth’s younger
sister, Lydia, runs away with a soldier, Wickham. For the time period, this
could ruin the entire family’s status, and destroy any possibility of Darcy and
Elizabeth’s life together. However, they easily overcome this, due to Darcy’s
heroism.
Despite
Robbie’s continuous attempts to overcome his past, he is never able to return
to Cecelia. They are unable to move beyond what Briony caused, and end up dying
alone. While Briony realizes what she has done, there is no heroic solution to the
“terrible thing that [she] did”(322). There is no perfect way to clear Robbie’s
name, to save him from jail, war, or death, though she may wish it so (“If I
had the power to conjure them at my birthday celebration…Robbie and Cecelia,
still alive, still in love, sitting side by side…” (351)).
I think it
is interesting that McEwan chose to follow this path for his story. While it reflects
what one often sees in romance novels, it seems much more realistic. There is
violence, death, and situations which cannot be overcome. It is not the perfect
world seen in romance novels, nor does it end with the happy couple, but
instead, long after they are gone. While both novels focus on humanity’s
imperfections and on selfish choices, they play out in very different manners
which create a very different view of society.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Modern Library, 1995. Print.
I never thought of this comparison directly but you are absolutely right about the similarity between these two and then of course the differences. However, within your points of similarity, I also find some stark differences that most definitely sets apart the two for me. And then I have some further comments about the ending.
ReplyDeleteWith your comparison of the two having the same romantic interests in the beginning and the similar opposing social standings, it’s not hard to see the similarities. But one difference between these two is that I believe in Pride and Prejudice the sympathies and interest of the audience goes to Elizabeth. She is the character that we are set up to love and feel emotionally connected to. But in the case of Cecilia I find her character to be a bit off-putting, brittle, and snobbish in the beginning of the novel. So much so that the maturing of her character as the novel progresses is not enough to fully make me sympathetic to her situation. Then as might be expected, Darcy and Robbie are in a similar situation. My sympathies lie with Robbie as we get the sense of his rougher home life and his need to work for everything that he attains. Then Darcy is the character that is set up to be much colder and aloof in the beginning of the novel much like Cecilia was. One difference here, though, is that personally I warmed up to Darcy by the end more than I did Cecilia.
Also I really do agree with your point that it is only natural that there is more detail, as only 1/3 of Atonement lines up with the plot of Pride and Prejudice. Your post really got me thinking about how Atonement plays with our expectations. Based on that beginning being similar to Pride and Prejudice, McEwan provokes and brings to mind any association that we might have with that type of ending and then preceded to dismantle that happily ever after. I find it absolutely refreshing although depressing. I believe that we as a society used to idealize our literature a lot of the time and preferred to have an ending that is unrealistic but happy. I think this ending speaks a lot to the changing values of our society. Also the portion in the end where we learn of the other potential ways that the novel could have concluded speaks to the fact that our society as a whole isn’t set in one way of what we want to see.
I think the comparison you make between Atonement and Pride and Prejudice is extremely interesting. I completely agree that McEwan tends to be more of a realist than Austen in his writing. McEwan goes into more detail with the characters' relationships and lives while also retaining a realistic plot line.
ReplyDeletePossibly the main difference between the two novels lies in the endings. Austen's novel ends in a sort of fairytale, with the two main characters married and deeply in love. There are no details of them growing older and becoming distant or quarrelsome. The reader does not truly know how they live the rest of their lives, and is left to just assume they will live "happily ever after". In McEwan's novel, the relationship between Cecilia and Robbie is followed closely, and ends in a much different way than that of Darcy and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice. Though less ideal, the ending of Atonement reflects a very realistic situation. The details shown throughout the book reveal the less than perfect relationship Robbie and Cecilia have. However, it is the fact that one is able to experience those details that draws the reader in, differentiating Atonement from Pride and Prejudice.
This comparison is really interesting to me, and it crossed my mind once or twice while reading. That may, however, be due to my internal categorization of all British romance.
ReplyDeleteThe differences in the plot of the two novels reflect the difference in time period in which the two novels are written. Much of the setting of Pride and Prejudice remains within the home of the Bennet family. While Part 1 of Atonement, is confined to the Tallis estate, the remainder of the novel transcends the Tallis property. Namely, the most dramatic contrast between the both novels is evident by the remainder of Atonement. Undoubtedly gory, as well as disheartening, the depiction of Dunkirk pragmatically illustrates a historical event. Thus, the war scenes in the novel demonstrate a style of modern realism not present in Pride and Prejudice. Additionally, considerably more attention is paid to Robbie as a character independent from Cecelia, whereas in Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy is namely spoken of in relation to marriage and money.
I agree with you that this is a strength of Atonement (and Ian McEwan’s writing style). The realistic representation of human imperfection is, for me, sends a message more impactful than Austen’s romance.