Analysis of the opening chapter of 'Atonement'

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Atonement –The Opening Chapter

As stated by Geoff Dyer the opening of Ian McEwan’s Atonement “is almost perversely ungripping…” Set to inform rather than attract the reader, the first chapter of the novel is seemingly boring and pointless, on first inspection. However on deeper analysis the opening is found to be effective in setting up the rest of the novel, and foreshadowing the tragic events that occur as a result of the crime committed on that hot summers day. The focus of the opening chapter is to explore and describe the novels main character, Briony, and the aspects of her personality that lead to the novels conflict and heartbreak. This chapter also introduces many of the novels other main characters and relates them to the novels key concerns.

The most important function of the opening chapter is to explore the character of Briony. From the opening sentence of the novel Briony is established as an imaginative and idealistic young girl, whose dedication to writing is lightly humoured by McEwan “the play was written in a two-day tempest of composition, causing her to miss a breakfast and a lunch.” The seriousness Briony sees in missing a “breakfast and a lunch” highlights a girlish innocence and naivety, which evidently fades as the novel progresses, and Briony’s views on life change. Up until this point Briony has lived a relatively protected life, away from the conflict of the outside world, giving Briony a sheltered view on life and relationships. This sheltered view of relationships is shown in this chapter through the characters of her play ‘The Trials of Arabella’ in which the heroine marries her “medical prince on a ‘windy sunlit day in spring.’” To Briony the reality of some relationships, being conflict, heartbreak and possibly divorce, “belonged in the realm of disorder”, lost to the idea of a wedding and “a dizzy lifelong union.” Her fantasies allow her to create any world she wants in which “falling in love could be achieved in a single word – a glance” and a “crisis in a heroine’s life could be made to coincide with hailstones.” This perfectly created world that Briony has the ability to construct is what causes her inability to understand that real life cannot be constructed in the same way as her stories, and ultimately leads to conflict later in the novel. As stated by McEwan earlier in the chapter “she did not have it in her to be cruel” however her ignorance of reality and her passion for fantasies lead to the crime for which she must spend the rest of her life atoning for.

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The major problems in the novel occur due to Briony’s adult ambition to write stories competing with her child-like love of fantasies and being the centre of attention. This is shown when McEwan describes the steps Briony takes before allowing her finished pieces of writing to be read “only when a story was finished, all fates resolved and the whole matter sealed off at both ends … could she … bind the chapters with a piece of string, paint or draw on the cover, and take the finished work to show her mother.” Briony’s maturity in resolving “all fates” ...

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The essay has a good structure. The introduction is concise and including a critical quotation is often a brilliant way to pose a convincing argument. But, the conclusion adds little and mostly repeats what is said in the introduction. It is key that the conclusion is used for a final insight and a strong justified judgement, possibly arguing the extent to which the opening is effective, or how far the reader is able to detect the metafiction from the introduction. Such perceptive comments will gain credit, but a bland conclusion adds nothing. I liked how the essay talks of "in addition to the above" showing their ability to progress through an argument and weave together points. The opening sentence of each paragraph is good, focusing on a technique clearly. But the last sentences seem tenuous with regards to the argument, and focus on Briony in the plot rather than the effect of the opening to the novel's reception. Examiners will be looking for a sustained discussion, and often this essay can lose this slightly. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are fine.

The analysis here is strong. Techniques are explained fluently, and sentences such as "The seriousness Briony sees in missing a “breakfast and a lunch” highlights a girlish innocence and naivety" show the ability to draw upon meanings rather than simply retell the plot. At A-Level, you will gain very little credit for having numerous quotes and showing knowledge of the novel unless you are making relevant analytical comments to the question. This essay sometimes does this, for example saying "Her fantasies allow her to create any world she wants". I find if you change your style to say "McEwan constructs Briony's fantasies to show the reader she can create any world she wants" then you will naturally analyse the situation rather than just retell it. The "Trials of Arabella" become important in explaining the rest of the novel, and I feel this essay could've expanded on its points further. I think this essay could've been slightly more clinical when looking at techniques. I would be discussing the use of setting in the first chapter, looking how Briony's ordered bedroom shows her taste for the miniature, exploring how she yearns for control, similar to the "Trials of Arabella". Examiners will be looking for analysis of language, form and structure, so it's important you look at a variety of techniques. I like how this essay focuses on a critical argument from Geoff Dyer, but it would've been more sophisticated to include a few alternative interpretations of the opening, and then evaluate why they are weaker based on the candidates analysis and evidence.

This essay responds to the question strongly. I know it may seem colloquial to say that the opening to "the novel is seemingly boring and pointless" but I understand exactly why this essay has included this. It has enabled the argument to discuss how the opening offers an insight into the personality and narrative style of Briony, which has a great significance in the context of the novel. I feel that the novel's genre and form should've been discussed here. It can be seen that McEwan rejects the conventions of a gripping opening to emphasise his vision of literary creation. At A-Level, it is key that you are considering how McEwan shapes the story through techniques, and this essay does it well. Sentences such as "The most important function of the opening chapter is to explore the character of Briony" enable the examiner to see you have this understanding.