Cyril Connolly Letter Response

The letter to Briony from Cyril Connoly in Ian McEwan's novel Atonement encompasses the ideas of modernism and stream of consciousness. The first reference to the stream of consciousness idea is made about a quarter of the way down on page 402. Cyril recognizes Briony's use of her own "flow of thought" in Brony's writing. Cyril then makes a reference to Virginia Woolf, one of the first authors to use steam of consciousness. Cyril basically says that Briony's writing is almost too similar to that of Woolf's;"However, we wondered whether it owed a little too much to the techniques of Mrs. Woolf" (402).

Then the reference to Elizabeth Bowen on page 404. Elizabeth read part of Briony's story and was "hooked for a while" but felt the same as Connoly, that there was really no back bone or purpose to her writing. Both Connoly and Bowen want to see Briony use more modernism in her writing. Another reference is made toward the end of the letter saying that Briony shouldn't Indeed they are write about the war in her work; "Indeed, they are wise and right to ignore it and devote themselves to other subjects" (405). And another reference to stream of consciousness right after; "Since artists are politically impotent, they must use this time to develop deeper emotional levels" (405).