Literary+Devices

Throughout the novel, McEwan using juxtaposition to contrast several conflictng personalities and perception of events. The idea of conflicting personalities is shown by the contrast in Briony's character and Cecilia's character. Briony is characerized as orderly and neat, while Cecilia's room and life is often described by chaos and disorganization. The contrasting images develop each character not only by defing what they are, but by showing their opposites, and contrasting the two images.
 * Juxtaposition:**

Another example of juxtapostion is Robbie and Cecilia's contrasting emotions towards one another. "His excitement was close to pain and sharpened by the pressure of contradictions: she was familiar like a sister, she was exotic like a lover; he had always known her, he knew nothing about her; she was palin, she was beautiful; she was capable---how easily she protected herself against her brother---and twenty minutes ago she had wept..." (page 122). The contrasting images that McEwan explains shows the depth and complexity of Cecilia and Robbie's feelings for one another and the juxtaposition of all the images helps to better define that complexity of their relationship.

The biggest example of juxtaposition is the differing point of views given in each section and chapter. By varying the view points from section to section and chapter to chapter, McEwan juxtaposes the perception of events of each of the characters to create a well-rounded story in which all the characters are fully represented and the opinions and perceptions of each character is revealed. For example, in chapter two the story follows Cecilia and her point of view, and Cecilia's account of the episode at the fountain, where the reader can see her emotions and her anger towards Robbie. But chapter three takes on Briony's point of view, who is watching from a window of the second story of the house, and believes that Robbie has this sense of 'control' over Cecilia and is somehow controlling her sister's actions. Another example, Briony's perception of the library scene is that Robbie was trying to force himself onto Cecilia, and these opinions are showed in the third person narration that follows Briony. However, the next chapter follows Robbie's point of view, and the reader finds that he was not forcing himself upon Cecilia, but that it was consensual and Cecilia had taken part in what was going on.
 * Juxtaposition of Point of View:**

McEwan uses a lot of foreshadowing to hint to the reader what events are going to unfold. "With the letter, something elemental, brutal, perhaps even criminal had been introduced, some principle of darkness..." (page 106-107). In this quote, McEwan foreshadows the results of the wrong letter being sent, and by his word choice of 'criminal' he foreshadows not only that there will be a crime later on in the story, but that the letter will have some significant effect---both of which statements are true, considering the crime was the rape and Briony's wrong accusations, and the letter being used as part of the evidence.
 * Foreshadowing:**

Another example is when the search parties are being formed, and Cecilia pairs herself with Leon. "She, of course, would not want to be in Robbie's company, and that was some relief, for he had already decided: if he could not be with Cecilia, if he could not have her to himself, then he too, like Briony, would go out searching alone. This decision, as he was to acknowledge many times, transformed his life." (page 135). McEwan foreshadows the doom that is fated for Robbie and the effect that this decision will have on Robbie's fate and its terrible outcome.