Atonement Flashcards
“The vase came away in his hand, and split into two triangular pieces which dropped into the water”
29
The pivotal moment, the vase breaking signifies Robbie and Cecilia’s relationship (how it was broken by Briony and now cannot be fixed) as well as all things in the novel that is fragile/too easily broken or lost e.g. Cecilia’s virginity
Links with Othello and the loss of Desdemona’s handkerchief
“Lola had come to the nursery that morning in the guise of the adult she considered herself at heart to be”
34
This is Lola’s downfall, she acts and dresses older than she is (15 years old) - attracts the attention of Paul Marshall, her later rapist
“Dropped into a light sleep in which his young sisters had appeared”
60
Paul Marshall is seen to have a sexual perverted dream about his sisters - shows how dodgy his character is as he is seen to be “uncomfortably aroused”
” “Bite it,” he said softly. “You’ve got to bite it.” “
62
Foreshadows the rape later in the novel - implies Paul Marshall is a criminal in the plot, sexual connotations in what he is saying to a 15 year old
“A little squeal of laughter abruptly smothered. Lola then, in the nursery with Marshall”
69
Emily is oblivious to what has happened, doesn’t question why a man and a 15year old girl are in the nursery - suspicious. If she’d have realised she could have stopped the plot from unravelling
“The typed page, left by him near the typewriter, was the one he has taken and folded into the envelope”
94
Robbie’s error in sending the wrong letter, containing the word “cunt” in it - lexis that would have been extremely shocking to society in the 40s. This mistake of his sets in motion the chain of events that ultimately leads to his own death
“She held out her wrists. Round each were blotchy bands of chafing (..) “they’re little brutes” “
117
Lola blames her brothers for the assault that has happened - doesn’t confess it was Paul Marshall, which would have prevented more crime from happening
“She had interrupted an attack, a hand-to-hand fight”
123
Briony walks in on Robbie and Cecilia having sex in the library and misinterprets the act as a crime after the fountain scene (child naivety) - the event that makes her think Robbie is the rapist
Social crime as they are of two different classes - wouldn’t have been accepted by society
Moral crime as they were having sex before marriage - going against the church and what society deem as the right thing
“He discovered that he has never hated anyone until now”
139
Briony ruins a beautiful moment between Robbie and Cecilia - she will never be forgiven by him as he is angry with her
” “It was Robbie, wasn’t it?” (…) “It was Robbie” “
166
Briony manipulates the truth - she is in control of the narrative, the true criminal. She convinces a scared, and in shock Lola into thinking it might have been Robbie
” “It belongs to me,” she shouted. “You have absolutely no right!” “
178
CRIME
Briony steals the letter written by Robbie for Cecilia as evidence so it fits into her narrative on Robbie being the rapist
“Perfect leg, pale, smooth, small enough to be a child’s”
192
Conveys sheer brutality of the war by using haunting imagery - war crime
“I’ll wait for you, come back”
203, 210, 213, 265
Cecilia’s motif as well as Robbie’s mantra as it kept him going throughout the war
Paints Briony out to be the criminal even more as she ruined their chance to be together
“Yes she was just a child. But not every child sends a man to prison with a lie”
228
Shows Briony’s impulsive/arrogant nature due to her being upper class - links with her jumping into the river to see if Robbie would save her
“Sugared almonds, whose sweetness belonged to another world”
260
Juxtaposition, symbolic of the ups and downs that Robbie has faced
Ironic, they are usually eaten as a wedding food, something he will not get to experience because of Briony
“I promise, you won’t hear another word from me”
265
Ended the chapter ominously - we don’t know whether Robbie got the boat from Dunkirk or whether he died due to his injury
“The uniform, like all uniforms, eroded identity, and the daily attention required”
276
Prisoners, like Robber (referred to as “Turner” in part 2) has lost their identity - showing the brutality of war as well as the physical and psychological pain endured to atone for a crime he did not commit because of Briony
She wants to separate herself from the accusation just like Robbie has been separated from his identity
“She might look and behave like and live the life of a trainee nurse, but she was really an important writer in disguise”
280
Shows Briony’s arrogance and egocentric mindset - she’s still the same person as she was when she was younger. Poses the question, has she atoned?
“Paul Marshall and Lola Quincey were to be married a week Saturday in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Clapham Common”
284
Paul Marshall has succeeded by marrying Lola without any moral/legal sanctions or justice; this is all because of Briony’s false accusation of Robbie which led to the perverse marriage of rapist and victim
Justice for Lola will never be delivered as in the 1940’s it would be highly unlikely for a court to believe a rape accusation against a woman’s own husband - legal crime
“He would turn to her with gratitude, realise who she was, and take her hand, and in silently squeezing it, forgive her”
298
Shows Briony’s obsession and child-like fantasies as she imagines how Robbie will forgive her
She still has that child naivety
“We found Two Figures by a Fountain arresting enough to read with dedicated attention”
312
Meta-fiction, there are similarities between the novel and Briony’s life which makes the readership question the authenticity of the characters’ perspectives that we are reading
“She remained in her seat with her accelerating heart and sweating palms, and humbly inclined her head”
325
Briony is presented a perfect chance to atone and admit her wrongdoing, preventing a perverse marriage. McEwan manipulates and deceives us to believe that she will confess but she does not - adding to her crime
Reference back to earlier section in the book page 15 “How the tilt of a skull could change a life!”
“Perhaps the Briony who was walking in the direction of Balham was the imagined or ghostly persona”
328
Meta-fiction, forewarns the reader that this may all be fiction - Briony has manipulated and constructed the whole narrative and none of it is to be true
What does Part 2 signify (structure)?
The chapter is one large chunk that isn’t split by numbers - this signifies the chaos and sheer quantity of land taken over during WW2
Solely focuses on Robbie and the suffering he has endured because of Briony - he is a victim to her narrative
