: An Analysis and Interpretation of the Novel with a Focus on Postmodern Themes and Strategies
Translated title
The Making of Fiction in Ian McEwan's Atonement
Author
Nielsen, Pernille Brøndsted
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2015
Submitted on
2015-05-28
Pages
76
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger Ian McEwans roman Atonement (2001) for at vise, hvordan romanen gør opmærksom på, hvordan historier bliver til. Med udgangspunkt i Brian Finneys synspunkt argumenterer specialet for, at bogen handler om at skabe fiktion, hvilket ses både i dens struktur og i skildringen af Briony, en figur der kæmper med at skelne mellem virkelighed og de historier, hun fortæller. Specialet fokuserer på temaer, fortællegreb og litterære virkemidler, der former læserens oplevelse. Centrale begreber forklares kort: en selvrefleksiv fortælling er en historie, der er bevidst om sig selv; metafiktion er fiktion, der kommenterer på fiktion; intertekstualitet er, når en tekst refererer til eller genlyder andre tekster. Specialet undersøger, hvordan McEwans formelle valg relaterer sig til postmoderne teori, og hvorfor de har fået kritikere til at læse Atonement både som postmoderne og som anti-postmoderne. Romanen læses desuden som historiografisk metafiktion: en selvbevidst fortælling, der forholder sig til historiske begivenheder. Afslutningsvis analyseres de ontologiske niveauer af kontrol og autoritet (de lagdelte roller som forfatter, fortæller og karakter) for at vise, hvem der styrer fortællingen, og hvordan den styring bliver synlig. I fire afsnit bygger specialet en argumentation for, at McEwan blander postmoderne teknikker med klassisk realistiske teknikker, så læseren lægger mærke til romanens konstruktion og reflekterer over grænsen mellem fiktion og virkelighed.
This thesis examines Ian McEwan’s Atonement (2001) to show how the novel draws attention to the way stories are made. Following Brian Finney’s view, it argues that the book is about the making of fiction, visible both in its structure and in its portrayal of Briony, a character who struggles to separate real life from the stories she tells. The analysis focuses on themes, narrative strategies, and literary devices that shape readers’ experience. Key terms are explained in plain language: a self-reflexive narrative is a story that is aware of itself; metafiction is fiction that comments on fiction; intertextuality is when a text echoes or references other texts. The thesis examines how McEwan’s formal choices relate to postmodern theory and why they have led critics to read Atonement in different ways—both as postmodern and as anti-postmodern. The novel is also read as historiographic metafiction: a self-conscious narrative that engages with historical events. Finally, it analyzes the ontological levels of control and authority (the layered roles of author, narrator, and character) to show who controls the story and how that control is revealed. Across four sections, the thesis concludes that McEwan blends postmodern techniques with classic realist techniques so that readers notice the novel’s construction and reflect on the boundary between fiction and reality.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Keywords
Documents