chapter 3 quotes/annotations

Question 1

‘she had arrived at one of the nursery’s wide-open windows’

page 37

Answer 1

• limited perspective as she cannot hear and is looking down so can only see from a certain angle
• also don’t understand as she’s too young
• her own version of events of what happened with Robbie and Cecilia

Question 2

‘Robbie who had subsided by Briony’s father through school and University’
page 38

Answer 2

-reflection of being a criminal. Due to his position in society he must be a criminal.

Question 3

‘Robbie imperiously raised his hand now, as though issuing a command which Cecilia dared not disobey
page 38

Answer 3

-further indicates that he is a criminal as criminals tend to crave power, which Briony’s perspective is making out to be.

Question 4

‘At this instance she was removing her clothes’

page 38

Answer 4

-Again suggests as though Robbie is forcing her to do these things

Question 5

‘blackmail? Threats?’

page 38

Answer 5

-rhetorical questions create a criminal for the reader

Question 6

‘the sequence was illogical’

page 39

Answer 6

-she is clearly aware that it makes no sense but still continues to fantasies

Question 7

‘Briony had not noticed before’

page 39

Answer 7

-showing awareness how easy it is to be wrong

Question 8

‘no doubt satisfied’

page 39

Answer 8

-Briony makes it seem as though Robbie is blackmailing Cecilia for sex through her perspective even though she cannot see the full story

Question 9

‘it was a temptation for her to be magical and dramatic , and to regard what she had witnessed as a tableau mounted for her alone, a special moral for her’
page 39

Answer 9

-older Briony recognizing her younger, self’s childish impulses

Question 10

‘but she knew very well that if she had not stood when she did, the scene would still have happened, for it was not all about her at all’
page 40

Answer 10

• she states that it is not all about her but uses the situation for her own advantage
• seems to grasp that she cannot control everything, something that we are aware from chapter 1 she does not like

Question 11

‘this was not a fairytale, this was real, the adult world in which frogs did not address princesses’
page 40

Answer 11

• moment of maturity

- makes us question if she knew what was going on and twisted it