On Chesil Beach

What does the language and structure of the opening sequence of ‘On Chesil Beach’, reveal about the two protagonists characters. The initial information that we learn from Ian McEwan in the opening paragraph, about the two protagonist characters in ‘On Chesil beach’ is that they are newlyweds on their wedding night, and that they are extremely inexperienced of anything remotely sexual and are both fairly ignorant of the subject. The phrase, ‘They lived in a time when a conversation about sexual

All three texts present very different views on marriage. ‘On Chesil Beach’ presents a picture of a nervous young couple on the first night of their honeymoon, where although both are inexperienced, they seem to be in love. Whereas, in ‘The Merchants Tale’, we have an old ‘hoor’ man, desperate for a young wife to present him with an heir. On the other hand, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a play about the marriage of two lovers; this view is idealised and has for centuries been perceived as the perfect view

Deception is the act of deceiving; it takes the shape of an underlying theme in each of the texts. It is a common occurrence in literature such as Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ and ‘On Chesil beach’ but in almost every incident, the degree of deception is different. Deception is performed by all characters to different extents and purposes, depending on the context of the situation. Othello displays deception between colleagues, whereby Iago uses deceit to cause carnage in

pay for his treatment while he is seriously ill, and forging a signature without his knowledge. This is the where the primary conflict begins. Similarly, in “On Chesil Beach” we are presented with the protagonists,

reciprocation but may resolve into a relationship of aversion. In the film, Knocked Up, we spectate the lives of a distraught couple trying to make it work while circumventing the cause of their effort, Alison’s unexpected pregnancy. And in the novel, On Chesil Beach, written by Ian McEwan, we follow a path of reflection in order for the couple to both realize that even though their love is inextinguishable, their desires in life makes the marriage hopeless. Between the two couples, there lies a parallel argument

In his essay “Who Killed Robbie and Cecilia? Reading and Misreading Ian McEwan’s Atonement,” Martin Jacobi argues that Ian McEwan dramatizes misreading and warns readers against misreading, but also causes his readers to incorrectly read his novel. Jacobi shows us how easy it is to misread in Atonement and this makes readers more likely to sympathize with Briony’s misreading. He further discusses how the narrative encourages us to believe that Robbie and Cecilia’s love story must end tragically even

Atonement is a novel written by a well-known writer, Ian McEwan. The novel tells the story of a teenager, Briony Tallis, the author of this book and the story is told through her eyes, she misinterprets what is happening and a series of misunderstandings take place which result in dire consequence for the whole family. Ian McEwan was born in Aldershot, England on June 21st 1948 (“Ian McEwan Biography, British Council Literature”), his father was a Scotsman and a sergeant major in the British Army

Written by Ian McEwan and later screen adapted by Joe Wright, Atonement is an extremely effective and well-presented metanarrative. It isn’t until the final stages of the book where the format of the story is disclosed, leaving the audience with an unsuspected shock. However, upon closer inspection, the many indicative and self-referential symbols can be recognised all throughout the novel (2003) and the film (2007). One of the most important and well recognised symbols of the book and the film

In his essay “Who Killed Robbie and Cecilia? Reading and Misreading Ian McEwan's Atonement” Martin Jacobi argues the role of misreading in Ian McEwan’s Atonement and the consequences of misreading and reading with preconception. Misreading is the incorrect or misinterpretation of a reading. In McEwan’s Atonement misreading is a key concept that allows Ian McEwan to persuade readers into believing situations and conclusions that are not confirmed. Jacobi’s main argument examples focuses on the misreading

Ian McEwan’s novel, On Chesil Beach, it discusses issues that arise from a world where people are not having conversations about sex. In the opening line of the book, it gives a summary of the main points in the book: “They were young, educated, and both virgins on this, their wedding night, and they lived in a time when a conversation about sexual difficulties was plainly impossible” (3). The two main characters, a newlywed couple, husband and wife, are Edward and Florence. Both come from different