Class In Atonement

The Confinements of Class Through the course of reality and literature, the upper class or socioeconomic elite prove to be symbols success and are perceived to have a distinct aura, one of influence and superiority. However, in Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement, this aura ceased to have a positive effect on the upper class. In lieu said social construct proved to be the grounds for a heightened sense of superiority, and gave way to an aura not of influence and superiority but one that was tainted by pretentiousness. Accordingly, said self-importance and feeling of prestige was ultimately the cause for Briony’s fatal mistake. While the debate over Briony’s atonement continues, her path to penance is one that attests to the greater themes of the
However, this seemingly perfect life concealed the pretentiousness of the family. This is evident in the quote “Morning sunlight, or any light, could not conceal the ugliness of the Tallis home – barely forty years old, bright orange brick, squat, lead-paned baronial Gothic, to be condemned one day…as a tragedy of wasted chances” (McEwan pg. 18) Thus, attesting to the lack of high standards and artificially influential nature of the Tallis family as seen through the portion of the quote which reads “[...] as a tragedy of wasted chances.” Briony, an immature thirteen year old, was an imaginative, aspiring writer. She lived in this pretentious world in which she sought acceptance, as seen in the early point in the novel in which she sought after her mother’s appreciation of her play. Moreover, her mentality coincided with the nature of her family as she expressed her superiority in the manner in which she constantly sought to control every aspect of her world. Thus, when it came time to frame Robbie as the man who raped Lola, Briony seized the opportunity as she followed her imagination and the notion that Robbie was an evil man in her imaginative world, a world which she perceived to be reality. The role of social class can be seen in the effect that it had on the world around Briony. Her newly-rich family lacked the standards of aristocracy and, thus, followed the superficial aura of arrogance. This, combined with the fact that Briony was the youngest family seeking to be accepted and become an adult, created a world in which Briony wanted a chance to become an adult. Furthermore, the role of being a member of the elite social class created the construct for Briony to not become overwhelmed with guilt. This can be seen as Briony never truly felt guilt until she became a nurse. Additionally, in regards to the theme of a thin line between imagination and reality, the role of