Atonement

Question 1

‘Robbie is a victim we are made to feel thegreatest sympathy for’. TWEDYA

Question 2

We feel great sympathy for Robbie as his life and career is ruined by Briony’s actions. we recieve a great sense of victimisation of Robbie through his meangingless death.

Answer 2

• sent to prison and percieved as a “maniac”
• suffering in prison - “the stupidity and claustrophobia. The hand squeezing at his throat” / “staring at the darkness at his throat…unable to sleep” / “he depised himself” - the torments of prison and punishment as a dehumanising process.

Question 3

We feel sympathy for him as his love with Ceclilia is unrealised and thwarted.

Answer 3

• “three word phrase” : this is never told to us
• “come back, i’ll wait for you” - romantic statement is shown to be futile
• “private sustained kiss”
• fleeting meeting - “precious final minutes”
• “Robbie and Cecilia had been making love for years-by post”
• “Robbie died of Septecemia…that Cecilia was killed in September of the same year” - been led to believe that R+C’s love had triumphed

Question 4

Alterntaively, we feel synpathy for Robbue because if his treatnebt at the hands of Briony and others. Briony deliberatly darws attention to the injustice he faces:

Answer 4

• “Lola who was it?…”
• “she did not think she has the courage to withdraw the accusation” / “but you did nothing”

Question 5

Such a thing is compunded by his victimisation at the hands of social prejudice, particularly in relation to his class…

Answer 5

• “they turned on you”
• “Liars Liars!” / “cigarettes from a gold case…patted a senior man on the shoulder”

Question 6

Lola
- a primary victim of the novel as she is raped:

Answer 6

• “arms across her chest, hugging herself, rocking lightly”
• “and what luck that was for Lola - barely more than a child, prised open and taken - to marry her rapist” / “mausoleoum of their marriage” (1948 - spousal priviledge ends / 1992 - marital rape illegal)

Question 7

Made not to feel sympathy for Lola:

Answer 7

• “Paul Marshall, Lola Quincey and she Briony Tallis, had conspired…to send an innocent man to jail”
• “she knew what side her bread was buttered”
• “Cruella de vil”