lan McEwan has used Briony's desire for a world "just so" as a surgical tool to criticize people's limited vision, as life's incidents and feelings are not monolithic. She processes every incident through the simplistic lens of heroes and villains. This approach is catastrophic, as real-life incidents are complex and messy. They extend beyond the incident and are complicated by historical facts, missteps, miscommunication, pride, attraction, irritation, and social context. Communication falters when truths and feelings are intentionally buried. The understanding of an incident can be fundamentally different for the persons involved and for the mere observer. When we factor in these complications, a simple misjudgement becomes a grim injustice to the individuals, based solely on visual appearances. #literature #perspective #Cecilia #Mcewan #Atonement #Briony #Lola