I think McEwan includes this allusion to show that Briony has grown as a writ and person in a very specific way. During all of Part I and the first half of Part III, most of her actions are in service of the perfect story, and the reason she gets Robbie in trouble is in service of a story as well. However, by including this allusion (more fully explained in the epilogue), McEwan shows that she has progressed beyond this unrealistic ideal.
I think the character I would most want to date would be Briony. When she is in the hospital, although she is very busy, "at a time when she was cut off from everything she knew-- family, home, friends-- writing was the thread of continuity. It was what she had always done" (264). Despite everything that has happened and how busy she is, she still enjoys creating new worlds and stories, and I have always felt drawn to creative people.
I chose this quote because it captures Briony's confusion about the situation and hints at her future realization that she had made a grave mistake. It also gives us a glimpse into how she thinks-- imaginative, scattered, and disorganized-- and puts the events of Part I in perspective, since only one day has passed.
"Voices and images were ranged around her bedside, agitated, nagging presences, jostling and merging, resisting her attempts to see them in order. Were they all really bounded by a single day, by one period of unbroken wakefulness, from the innocent rehearsals of the play to the emergence of the giant from the mist?" (172). Briony now lies on her bed trying to make sense of the events of the day, shortly before Robbie's arrest.
I think my favorite character is Briony, because I feel like I can relate very well to her. Her imagination is very vivid, and she is able to turn something random such as hitting nettles with a stick into an immersive story about being an Olympic fencer. I also have an extremely vivid imagination, and if I had more time, I would probably do a fair amount of writing as well.
