“I said, Ye are gods; and you are all children of the Most High” -Psalms 82:6 Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay It is an impossible task for an author not to project their own private biases onto a page. Theistic writers such as JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis were unable to separate their faith from their respective writings. Ian McEwan, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of the spectrum, unable to separate his lack of faith from his writing. These private biases do not detract from the writings of these authors, but add an interesting perspective to each of their works. Tolkien was able to layer his work with biblical symbolism and incorporate many biblical themes. Lewis used biblical allegory, making his characters and plot reflect specific events that occurred in Scripture. In the case of McEwan's Atonement, McEwan's atheism allowed his work to challenge a well-established theme in writing; the belief that man has no right to mock God. McEwan, using scriptural references and biblical allegories, makes several subliminal comparisons that place man on an equal footing with God. McEwan is first and foremost faced with a task curious: how can you challenge a literary notion that has been held for centuries? Literary works such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein warn of the dangers of men having the audacity to play God. McEwan would not be able to overthrow that notion on his own, and instead relies on making subliminal comparisons along with several biblical references and allegories. Through scriptural references, McEwan manages to lend some validity to his beliefs, as firmly rooting his references in Christian theology itself confers a certain ethos that would be impossible to achieve if these biblical references were omitted. While using the Bible to refute a popular religious notion seems strange, it is a growing trend in modern and postmodern writing. As Foster says, “Many modern and postmodern texts are essentially ironic, in which allusions to biblical sources are used not to accentuate continuity between religious tradition and the contemporary moment but to illustrate a disparity or rupture” (Foster 52). And by using subliminal messages, McEwan is able to make his statement without raising too many eyebrows. The most obvious comparison comes at the end of the book, when Briony utters one of the novel's most famous quotes: “The problem of these fifty-nine years have been like this: how can a writer achieve atonement when, with her absolute power to decide the results, is it also God?” (McEwan 350). Here Briony notes that the author is God in a novel and raises the question of how God can achieve atonement when the author has no higher power to appeal to. However, McEwan curiously adds this quote at the end: “No atonement for God, or for novelists, even if they are atheists” (McEwan 351). McEwan jokes that belief in God is not a requirement to be God, essentially allowing anyone the ability to become God. This is a shocking revelation, as this concept goes against the often held notion that man should not play God Rather ironically, however, it fits the biblical description of God. In Daniel 2:21-22, describing God, the author writes “He changes the times and the seasons; removes kings and installs kings; gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; reveals deep and hidden things; knows what's in the dark" (Aitken 1059). This quote could easily describe Briony and the absolute powerof the writer. She, as the writer, has complete and autonomous control over the events of the novel, just as God has control over the universe. Other biblical parallels can be found in the book of Hebrews; in Hebrews 12:2, Jesus is curiously called “The Author and Finisher” (Aitken 1461). Such a reference cements the idea that Briony, as an author, is placed on the same level as God. Briony, as an author, brings Cecilia and Robbie to life. Create wars and kill characters. It creates universes and grants wisdom. Overthrow the French government and deliver victory to the Nazis. He becomes God through his narrative actions. McEwan uses more than just Briony's divine abilities as an author to reflect his belief that man is equal to God. Robbie serves as a prime example of a character who believes he is on equal footing with God. Right before writing his letter bawdy to Cecilia, Robbie is seen in a moment of self-reflection, reflecting on how confident he is in himself and his ideas. He concludes this reflection with the statement “I am that I am” (McEwan 78). This statement directly mirrors a statement made in the Bible, where God says almost the exact same phrase to Moses in Exodus 3:14, telling his prophet “I am that I am” (Aitken 74). In the biblical example, God uses this line to establish credibility and convince Moses that the Israelites will listen to him. When Robbie parrots the quote, he uses the phrase in a similar way to establish credibility in himself and make the reader believe he is confident in his emotions. Whether Robbie is actually safe or not is disputed: the main conclusion from this is that Robbie repeated the quote that God made in an attempt to send the same message that God sent. While certainly subliminal, Robbie compares himself to God, unintentionally placing himself on the same level as the creator of the universe. While many writers discourage man playing God, McEwan seems totally okay with his characters acting like God. Robbie is later revealed in the novel as a non-religious man, acting as a sort of reflection on his personal belief system. McEwan. In this way, McEwan's personal belief that man is equal with God is somewhat reflected in Robbie's nature, with Cecilia finding him pompous at first. When McEwan used Briony, he indicated a method in which man can become God. Through Robbie, he shows the reader that man, intrinsically, is determined to place himself on an equal footing with God. Robbie is not alone in this regard, as a series of other characters throughout the novel believe they are on the same level as God. God. When speaking to Leo, Cecilia, for example, makes a fleeting reference comparing herself to Jesus Christ when he multiplied a great feast from five loaves and two fishes. It is noted that Leon did not catch the biblical reference, but the reference is made anyway. Cecilia's fleeting observation doesn't seem particularly noteworthy but, as mentioned before, that's exactly the point. A more compelling example might be when the soldiers of Dunkirk choose to elevate themselves into a position where they themselves are, at the very least, equal to God, if not actually Gods. When a mob of soldiers begins to terrorize an innocent RAF man, the mob passes judgment. Believing that the man is responsible for their troubles and the fact that they are stuck in France fighting a losing war, they hold him responsible for the sins of the government. The soldiers beat and tortured the man, and each act of escalating violence against the man garnered praise and encouragement. When Mace declares that he wants to drown the man, the crowd of soldiers rejoice, cheer, and scream at the thought of the man being killed. The idea that a man should be able to execute judgment upon..