Echoes of Trauma: Unraveling Atonement through Freudian-Virilian Perspectives on Reenactment and Redemption

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Instructor, Department of English Language, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of English Language, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran

Abstract

This interdisciplinary study examines Ian McEwan's Atonement by combining narrative analysis with the theories of Sigmund Freud and Paul Virilio. It looks closely at narrative techniques, time-related complexities, and cultural meanings in Atonement, linking Freud's idea of repetition compulsion with Virilio's views on technology and perception. Briony Tallis represents both Freudian traumatic re-enactment and Virilio's concept of the integral accident. Her ongoing guilt, like a rosary, symbolizes the repetitive nature of trauma. Using Virilio's gestalt theory, the study offers a new way to understand the novel's focus on perception. This research fills a gap in existing literature by bringing together Freud's psychoanalytic perspective and Virilio's technological insights to analyze Atonement. This combination of theories is a new approach that provides fresh insights into how McEwan's narrative structure reflects the interplay between trauma, technology, and cultural reception. For example, the study explores how the novel's fragmented narrative mirrors Briony's fractured psyche and how technological advancements during the wartime setting influence characters' perceptions and actions. This study of Ian McEwan's Atonement demonstrates how stories can help individuals understand their feelings and experiences better. It uses psychology and technology to explore how storytelling affects the understanding of trauma, perception, and the modern world.

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References

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Critical Literary Studies
Volume 7, Issue 1 - Serial Number 13
October 2024
Pages 111-134

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History

  • Receive Date: 07 November 2023
  • Revise Date: 02 July 2024
  • Accept Date: 02 October 2024

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