Additionally when Briony speaks up about Robbie's alleged raping she believes to be a form of protection for her sister when, ironically, she is condemning a blooming relationship. This form of irony drives the reader to condemn Briony's character and her actions henceforth. .
Imagery is a prominent technique that both Hosseini and Wright employ. Wright uses visuals to accentuate symbolism much like Hosseini's use of words to express the same form of symbolism. Hosseini's use of imagery through Amir further emphasises his guilt towards his actions. The "pomegranate tree" is a form of imagery and is Amir's connection to the past as well as his friendship with Hassan. Amir constantly remembers the tree and through that his guilt, persistently reminding him of his wrongdoing and the betrayal that he orchestrated. This symbol is a reminder of Amir's guilt and becomes a constant reminder of his own sins and guilt, thereby forcing him towards a form of redemption. The use of imagery by Hosseini means that the reader feels empathetic towards Amir and begins to desire an end to Amir's quest. Likewise, in Atonement, Wright uses imagery to explore the effects of guilt through his main protagonist. Water, a symbol employed by Wright, is a way of showing Briony's guilt and the constant reminder that it serves for Wright's character. Water is a vital symbol in a range of scenes in Atonement and most of them apply to Briony and her guilt. Briony recalls multiple scenes of her and the symbol of water, namely the scene of her playing in water with Robbie before selfishly asking Robbie the question "will you save me?" and proceeds to jump in to the water. Briony feels a sense of guilt towards this scene due to her attempts to win over Robbie when he was clearly in love with someone else. Water serves as a lasting reminder to Briony and drives her towards redemption. Subsequently, the use of water as a symbol positions the reader to despise Briony even more because her actions.