Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

Familial Relationships

Atonement shows how specific family dynamics influence familial relationships as well as individuals. In the Tallis family, the children are largely independent, with Emily Tallis often staying in bed for long periods of time due to her migraines and Jack Tallis often away in London. This leaves Briony, the youngest child who prides herself on being in control and organized, as viewing herself in the unconventional role of family guardian. This self-appointed role leads Briony to feel protective of Cecilia when she sees her with Robbie and eventually causes her to falsely accuse Robbie. Cecilia also feels as though the responsibilities of the family are left to her in her parents’ absence, which she resents. Similarly, Lola is forced into a parental role while her parents are in the midst of divorce. Though Lola does not like looking after her twin brothers, she seems to enjoy the air of authority that comes with this role, as she desperately wants to be seen as a grown-up. These various relationships show how family dynamics can influence the course of individuals’ lives.

Clothing

In Part One, clothing is used to show both the current identities of characters and also the identity they wish to portray. Briony wears a simple white dress, symbolizing her naivete at this point in the novel. She considers dressing more maturely, like Lola, but does not take any action to do so, showing that she is still very much a child. When Cecilia dresses for dinner, she agonizes over what to wear and later realizes her indecision is because of Robbie’s presence. She rejects a pink dress that she feels makes her look juvenile and then a black dress that she compares to a widow’s outfit. Eventually, Cecilia lands on a backless green silk dress, indicating that she would like to be attractive to Robbie. After Part One, when Briony has accused Robbie of assaulting Lola, the three main characters are all in some form of uniform, with Robbie in the armed forces and Briony and Cecilia working as nurses. This suggests that, with Briony’s crime, they have all been cast in specific roles to which they are bound for life.

Sex

There are two sex acts in Atonement that end up changing the course of the characters’ lives. The first is the one between Cecilia and Robbie that, while consensual, Briony believes to be an assault. The second is an actual assault, when Paul Marshall rapes Lola. Briony’s reaction to these events reveals her innocence and naivete about sex, showing that she is very far off from the grown-up she claims she is. She cannot fathom someone wanting to have sex and so assumes that what she witnesses between Cecilia and Robbie is coerced. Lola, who presents herself as more mature than Briony, is also shown to be naive in this area as she calls Robbie a “maniac” upon learning what was in his letter to Cecilia. The different characters’ views on sex not only draw a line between the children and the adults but show the consequences of misunderstandings that arise when people are ignorant of sex.