Atonement ✨

Question 1

How is Briony introduced?

Answer 1

Positive and negative with her several traits

Question 2

What are Briony traits?

Answer 2

• Her ability to write at the standard she is at 13
• A love for storytelling entwined with her need for control

Question 3

Where do we see Briony being controlling in chapter 1?

Answer 3

• Through her writing of TOA. she is able to play an omniscient God
  -The description of her room and it’s comparison to Cecelia’s

Question 4

What is the difference between Briony and Lola ?

Answer 4

Their ages juxtapose each other.

Question 5

How is Briony still a child in chapter one?

Answer 5

• When distributing the plays roles she gives away the lead as she didn’t want to seem childish compared to Lola who is sophisticated in her eyes

Question 6

How is Cecilia introduced?

Answer 6

-Rather aimless, as it goes in-depth on her not knowing her next step of life

Question 7

Why is Cecilia angry at Robbie?

Answer 7

• Many may say that she is looking to robbie’s action too in-depth
  -Care about him more than she should

Question 8

How can someone view the fountain scene?

Answer 8

• A very big overreaction as she gets very frustrated when robbie offers to pick up the vase pieces.
• More that meets the eye.

Question 9

what is the importance of chapter one and two?

Answer 9

• TOA and Uncle Clem’s vase

Question 10

what is the importance of TOA?

Answer 10

-Ends with love story between a heroine and doctor (A profession that robbie is seeking)

Question 11

What does the TOA symbolise?

Answer 11

-The inability to control everything, despite her intentions
- A struggle she’ll forever face
- whatever she vision will not be brought to life through others.

Question 12

what is the importance of the vase?

Answer 12

vase is fractured during Cecilia and Robbie’s exchange, suggesting that something has broken open between the two of them and that their relationship may soon change.

Question 13

What is the constant theme throughout chapter 3 & 4?

Answer 13

Childhood vs Adulthood

Question 14

What does jackson’s accident do to Briony?

Answer 14

• As the mistake is commonly made by young children Briony wants to distance herself from that stage in life.

Question 15

How does Briony compare herself to Briony?

Answer 15

-She compares her own simple white dress, signaling innocence, to Lola’s more mature attire, implying Briony no longer wishes to be seen as a child.

Question 16

What is Briony’s reaction to the fountain scene?

Answer 16

• Develops in the power of storytelling. As she sees life as a story.
• they are fulfilling the archetypes of the lowly servant and high-class damsel falling in love and is utterly perplexed when they do not fill their roles accordingly.

Question 17

what does Briony’s interpretation of FS tell us?

Question 18

what do readers think of Briony reactions of FS ?

Answer 18

-Briony’s reaction indicates that she sees Cecilia and Robbie more as characters in a story than as actual people. Despite her earlier realization that all individuals are complex, she has cast both Cecilia and Robbie in roles that make sense to her.

Question 19

how does the scene at the fountain also introduces the theme of the nature of perspective?

Answer 19

-Cecilia and Robbie know what’s happening.
-Briony’s perspective in this moment is shaped by her role both as an outsider and as a child with no real knowledge of adult relationships or sexuality.
-These assumptions will later color how Briony sees both of them and will have consequences for them all.

Question 20

How is Lola portrayed in chapter 5?

Answer 20

-her relative sophistication makes her seem much older, at least in Briony’s eyes, and implies that Lola hopes to be seen as an adult rather than a child.