“I said: You 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 Should Not 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 failed to separate their faith from their respective writings. Ian McEwan, on the other hand, finds himself at the opposite end of the spectrum, unable to separate his lack of faith from his writings. 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 combine 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 business playing God. McEwan, using scriptural references and biblical allegories, makes several subliminal comparisons that place man on an equal footing with God. McEwan is first faced with a curious task: how can he challenge a literary notion that has been held for centuries? Literary works such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein warn of the dangers of men who have the audacity to play God. McEwan would not be able to overturn such a notion single-handedly and instead relies on subliminal comparisons with several biblical references and allegories. Through scriptural references, McEwan is able to lend a certain validity to his beliefs, because firmly grounding his references in Christian theology inherently confers a certain ethos that would be impossible to achieve if these biblical references were omitted. Although 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 reinforce continuities between religious tradition and the contemporary moment but to illustrate a disparity or rupture” (Foster 52). And by employing subliminal messages, McEwan is able to make his statement without batting an eyelid. The most obvious comparison comes at the end of the book, when Briony delivers one of the novel's most famous quotes: "The problem of these fifty-five It's been nine years: how can a novelist achieve atonement when, with her absolute power of decision, she is also God? (McEwan 350). Here, Briony notes that the author is God in a novel and asks 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, nor for novelists, even if they are atheists" (McEwan 351). McEwan jokes that believing in God is not a requirement for being God, allowing anyone to become God. This is a somewhat shocking revelation, as this concept flies in the face of the often-held idea that man should not play God. Ironically, however, this fits the biblical description of God. In Daniel 2:21-22, when describing God, the author writes: “He changes times and seasons; he overthrows kings and establishes kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have knowledgeintelligence; it reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness” (Aitken 1059). This quote could just as easily describe Briony and the absolute power of the writer. As a writer, she has complete, autonomous control over the events of the novel, just as God has control of 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 put on the same level as God. Briony, as the author, brings Cecilia and Robbie to life. She creates wars and kills people. She creates universes and grants wisdom. She overthrows the French government and brings victory to the Nazis. She becomes God through her narrative actions. McEwan uses more than Briony's divine abilities as an author to reflect his belief that man is equal to God. Robbie is a great example of a character who believes he is on equal footing with God. Just before writing his lewd letter to Cecilia, Robbie is seen in a moment of introspection, reflecting on how secure 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, in which God says almost the exact same phrase to Moses in Exodus 3:14, telling his prophet "I am who 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 repeats the quote, he similarly uses the phrase to establish credibility and make the reader believe that he is secure in his emotions. Whether Robbie is actually safe or not is moot: the main takeaway is that Robbie repeated the quote that God made in an effort to send the same message that God sent. Although 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 from playing God, McEwan seems completely fine with his characters acting like God. Robbie is revealed later in the novel to be a non-religious man, acting as a sort of reflection on McEwan's personal belief system. In this way, McEwan's personal belief that man is on par with God is somewhat reflected in Robbie's nature, with Cecilia initially finding him pompous. When McEwan used Briony, he was pointing out a method by which man can become God. Through Robbie, he shows the reader that man, by nature, is determined to put himself on an equal footing with God. Robbie is not alone in this regard, as many other characters throughout the novel believe themselves to be on equal footing with God. God. When speaking to Léon, Cécile, for example, makes a passing reference comparing herself to Jesus Christ when he multiplied a great feast from five loaves and two fish. It is noted that Leo did not get the biblical reference, but the reference is made nonetheless. Cecilia's passing remark doesn't seem very remarkable, but as previously mentioned, that's precisely the point. A more concrete example would be where the soldiers of Dunkirk choose to rise to a position where they themselves are, at the bare minimum, equal to God, or even being gods themselves. When a mob of soldiers begins to terrorize an innocent RAF man, the mob passes judgment. Believing that the man is responsible for their misfortunes and the fact that they are stuck in France in a losing war, they hold him responsible for the sins of the government. The soldiers..