Apart from the skillful narrative perspective, McEwan also tells his story in a metafictional style. Metafiction is “a literary device used to self-consciously and systematically draw attention to a work's status as an artifact. It poses questions about the relationship between fiction and reality, usually using irony and self-reflection. It can be compared to presentational theatre, which does not let the audience forget it is viewing a play; metafiction forces readers to be aware that they are reading a fictional work”. It is “fiction about fiction, that is, fiction that includes itself a commentary on its own narrative or linguistic identity”; it is “a term given to fictional writing which self-consciously and systematically draws attention to its status as an artifact in order to pose questions about the relationship between fiction and reality”[4].
At the end of Atonement, readers find that the first three parts constitute Briony’s novel, while Atonement, the book is written by Ian McEwan. The metafictional epilogue breaks up the story which consists of the first three parts. After reading first three parts, it is very likely that readers believe Briony sees Cecilia and Robbie in person and reveals the truth finally. The lovers finally reunite after going through countless hardships. Briony successfully atones for what she has done. Undoubtedly, it is a universally happy ending.
However, after reading epilogue, readers realize that Briony is not only a protagonist but also the narrator and writer of the whole story, which leads to confusion. Readers begin to realize that the novel is actually written by McEwan instead of Briony Tallis. In contrast to the happy ending in part three, both of the lovers are dead, failing to meet each other again. Thus, the third part is only Briony’s imagination—she imagines that she visits her sister and Robbie and promises to tell everyone the truth. Readers have to reevaluate their judgment before. The first part of the...