In Ian McEwan's Atonement, the protagonist Briony begins the novel as a young, precocious girl who loves to write. She has a playful relationship with Robbie, a working class boy who works on her wealthy family's property. Briony's older sister Cecilia begins a very brief love affair with Robbie that disturbs Briony. On the same night she discovers their relationship, Briony also learns that her cousin Lola has been raped. For reasons that are not made entirely clear, Briony accuses Robbie of the assault even though he was not the perpetrator. Because of the accusation, Robbie is taken away, goes to jail, and later fights in World War II. Cecilia eventually becomes a nurse in the war effort.

In the course of the novel, Briony eventually reunites with Robbie and Cecilia and attempts to make amends. They are not very open to her overtures, but she does try, and she admits that she was wrong. She plans to write a letter to get Robbie's charges cleared. At this point, Robbie and Cecilia are in a relationship. This version of the story gives Briony a chance to repair what she broke when she misreported Robbie as the assailant. The lovers are reunited, and she can at least try to make up for the wrongs she committed.

However, the end of the novel reveals that Briony is an author and that version of events was fictionalized. Actually, Robbie and Cecilia both died during the war. They never saw each other again. Therefore, the war and its results mean that Briony can never really achieve the atonement she desires because the wronged parties can never forgive her. She admits that as the writer she is in a tricky position; she wonders whether she can earn atonement if she is also the one offering it. As the creator of the story, she likens herself to God. Even if the creation of the fictional story makes Briony feel somewhat relieved of her guilt, the loss of both Robbie and Cecilia means that Briony can never receive their forgiveness.