Coming of Age as a Global Citizen

 You'll never leave where you are until you decide where you'd rather be. Not knowing where to go or what to do in order to find satisfaction with himself is one of the primary battles Karim faces.

 Being multi-racial is hard on Karim. Even though the world was changing a great deal, there were still many obstacles to overcome - primarily racism. He was often taunted and called horrible names. Karim eventually learned to go on about his way while worrying as little as possible about what others thought of him.

 "I am an Englishman, born and bred, almost." Throughout the novel, Karim struggles with his combined background (English and Indian). 

His struggles are especially evident while he plays Mowgli and has to adopt an Indian accent, a major struggle for him. It's not easy to play into a stereotype such as the one Mr. Shadwell presents.

 London during the 1970s was dramatically different from before World War II. 

"In a decade dominated by youth, London has burst into bloom. It swings; it is the scene..." - Time magazine, 1966 

 His time as an actor is both fun and challenging, and brings a lot to light for Karim. Unlike Charlie, he doesn't necessarily enjoy constantly being in the limelight. 

"I walked around Central London and saw that the town was being ripped apart; the rotten was being replaced by the new, and the new was ugly." After Karim leaves Charlie in New York, he realizes that home, the place that should be most familiar to you, is always changing. The fact that life is an ongoing process is the insight Karim gleans throughout Buddha of Suburbia. 

Coming of Age as a Writer

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In the British Library, we were able to get a glimpse into the lives of some writers and see what kinds of writing genres are most often considered great or lasting. 

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Novels, plays, and poems are often very strong forms of literature that last through the ages. In novels, the author is god, able to create and control the lives of others. Briony, controlling as she was, deeply enjoys this aspect of dictating the lives of others.

At the Imperial War Museum, it became more obvious than ever that war produces deep affects on everyone: soldiers that fight and see death on a daily basis, women left at home to fend for their families and join the workforce, children forced to relocate to foster homes. Robbie Turner holds on for as long as possible on the words of Cecilia: "I'll wait for you. Come back."

 

At the end of the novel, Briony is unable to change the fate she cast upon Robbie and Cecilia in reality, but she is able to use her imagination to give them the life together they so deserved. 

 Florence Nightingale and her sister had a relationship very similar to that of Briony and Cecilia. Both were baby sisters of flighty, careless older girls. Both were controlling, curious women.

In Atonement, Briony became a nurse to atone for her sins, in a sense. Florence Nightingale became a nurse for the passion of caring for others. She felt it was her calling; Briony felt it was what she had to do.