Guilt in Atonement

The themes of guilt and atonement are extremely obvious, in that, the book is about a woman who commits a crime, then devotes her life to repenting for it. Yet is Briony the only one to blame for what happened that day, or are there others who are guilty? What about Lola, who knows full well it wasn't Robbie, or Paul Marshall, who remains silent even though he was the real assailant? And what about the adults who choose to rely on Briony's evidence? Did they not feel the need to further investigate, but saw that a young girl's words were proof enough? Was this because of the distinction in social class? And Does Briony finally achieve the atonement she so desired, by allowing the lovers to be together in the story she writes? Briony feels guilty also for the power vested in her as a writer. She has the authority to make Robbie go to war, as well as send him to prison, as well as choose whether the two lovers get a chance to be together or not.

The theme of guilt, forgiveness, and atonement should be extremely obvious to anyone who reads the book. The entire plot of the novel centers on a woman who devotes her entire life repenting a crime she committed while still a young girl.

Articles of note that are not as obvious to the reader that have to do with this theme are things like, is Briony the only person who should feel guilty? Who else is at fault for the crime committed on that hot summer night in 1935? Where is Lola's guilt for not saying anything? What about Paul Marshall's--the real assailant who gets away with rape and stands silent while an innocent man goes to prison. Then there are all the adults in Part One of the novel. How is it that so many people who are capable of understanding so much more than a thirteen-year-old girl come to rely completely on her testimony? Should more not have been done in the investigation?

The question is left open at the end of the book. Does Briony finally achieve her atonement by writing her story and keeping her lovers and allowing their love to survive?

The second layer to the guilt theme has to do with the history of literature. Aside from the crime she committed as a child, Briony feels guilty for her powers as a writer. She knows she has the autonomy to write whatever story she so chooses. Just like she could send Robbie to prison, she can make him survive the war. The reliance readers put in Briony to tell them "what really happened" leaves her feeling guilty about her life's work, and she projects that guilt onto the history of the English literature canon.