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Literature and Writing
As you might have heard us mention before, Atonement is literature about literature. It's writing about writing. It turns back and bites its own tail, like a flexible yoga dog. Briony writes the novel within the novel, of course, as well as the play in the novel and even a novella in the novel. But there's also Robbie's X-rated note that precedes the X-rated business he gets into with Cecilia. And then there are the letters between Robbie and Cecilia when he's in prison, in which they communicate their love by talking about great literary lovers past. Atonement is like walking into a library and having all the books jump up and down shouting at you to read some other book. And yes, there are lots of references to libraries in Atonement too.
Briony becomes a more moral person over the course of the book by becoming a better writer.
Atonement shows that writers can't be trusted at all. Take away their typewriters and feed them gruel and water.
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