Atonement: Themes

Coming of Age: This theme explores the moral and psychological growth of the characters, particularly Briony, as they journey from innocence to experience.
Forgiveness: This theme encapsulates the idea of forgiving oneself and others as a way to confront past mistakes, mainly illustrated through Briony’s lifelong quest to obtain forgiveness.
Hopes and Dreams: This theme presents the characters’ aspirations, their pursuit, and the outcomes, including Cecilia and Robbie’s thwarted love due to the false accusation.
Writing: The theme of writing emphasises the complex role of language and storytelling in constructing our perception of reality, as Briony uses her writing as a form of atonement.
Family: The theme highlights the dynamics, complexities, interests, and tensions inherent within family relationships, illustrated by the Tallis family.
Sex: It deals with the discovery, misunderstanding, and exploration of sexual desires and the consequences they bear, including the central misunderstanding regarding Robbie and Cecilia’s love relationship.
Appearance vs Reality: This theme questions the disparate nature of appearance and truth, best seen in Briony’s initial interpretation of Robbie as a villain.
War: The theme explores both the physical horror of World War II and the war’s life-altering effects on the characters emotionally and socially.
Love: As a prevailing theme, it explores aspects of love like innocence, longing, sacrifice, and heartbreak, mainly through Robbie and Cecilia’s doomed love story.
Friendship: This theme examines the complexities of friendships, loyalty, and trust demonstrated through relationships such as between the Quincey cousins.
Perspectives: The theme showcases the unreliability of individual perspectives, highlighting how different viewpoints can have grave consequences, most notably Briony’s misunderstanding leading to Robbie’s imprisonment.