Ethics of Storytelling: The Wounds of Deception and Pseudo-PTSD in Atonement

Atonement is one of the most controversial novels due to the complexity of its narratives and characters, particularly its main heroine, Briony. Therefore, this article deals with pseudo-PTSD in Ian McEwan’s Atonement (2001), examining how trauma is delineated, built, and manipulated within the metafictional framework of the novel. While classical PTSD is depicted through forced memories of traumatic events, McEwan’s protagonist, Briony Tallis, engineers a narrative of guilt and redemption that parodies trauma without an reliable, firsthand experience of it. This study interrogates Briony’s psychological state, arguing that her self-imposed suffering functions as a simulacrum of PTSD—what can be termed pseudo-PTSD—a term coined by Rosen & Tylor, 2007. Drawing their perspective, the article examines Briony’s retrospective storytelling as both a coping mechanism and an act of self-mythologization, highlighting the ethical and epistemological implications of narrating trauma. Ultimately, Atonement challenges the reliability of memory and the legitimacy of self-inflicted psychological wounds, raising critical questions about authorship, responsibility, and the commodification of suffering in fiction.