Atonement - Elements of Crime Writing Flashcards
How does McEwan show victims of crime writing?
Who are the victims? What are they a victim of?- Is Briony as much of a victim as Lola and Robbie?
How are criminals/crime shown in the book?
Various different criminals that commit crimes of differing degrees. Briony’s crime of lying to the police, Marshall’s rape, Robbie’s letter, Lola’s crime of sending Robbie to prison etc
How is punishment shown in the book?
Are those punished deserving of their punishment? Are the right people punished?
How are crime settings represented in the book?
Settings represent different aspects of the crimes - the apparent idyll of the Tallis home which is actually in decay, the chaos and lawlessness of Normandy, the militarised version of everyday life in London, and the retrospective view from 1999.
How is the justice system presented in the book?
The justice system appears to fail Robbie, society appears to protect Marshall due to his upper class status
How is confession and guilt shown in the book?
Despite many characters being guilty there is no confession of guilt in the novel by the primary criminal. Only Briony confessing she wrongly accused Robbie to Cecilia and in 1999 when Briony confesses to the book being a work of fiction.
How is morality presented in the book?
Part of Atonement being a postmodern text is that morality is questioned throughout the novel leaving the reader to decide what actions are right and wrong
Where is deception and mystery shown in the novel?
The realisation by Briony that Marshall is Lola’s rapist comes ⅔ of the way through the novel without a satisfying resolution for the reader as this is not made public.
How is atonement and forgiveness shown in the book?
Briony’s attempt to atone for her crime and gain forgiveness is at the centre at Atonement with the entire novel being an attempt to absolve herself
