Aspects of representation with illustration from Ian McEwan’s Atonement

Abstract

In contemporary culture and literature representation is an interesting and challenging issue. This paper presents theoretical aspects of representation, definition, and connected concepts, illustrated in a brief discussion of Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement. The systems of representation do not only mirror reality but construct the mechanisms through which humans understand and process the information coming from the exterior. Ian McEwan explores the diversity and power of the impact of these mechanisms. His characters face, imagine and shape reality at the same time.