2.10.2
Chapter 10: Key Themes
Key Themes in Chapter 10
Key Themes in Chapter 10
The events in Chapter 10 are seen from Briony’s perspective.
Theme of deception
Theme of deception
- Briony is fascinated by the glimpse she has been given into “an arena of adult emotion and dissembling”.
- Briony has just ‘learned’ that pretence (“dissembling”) and deception are an integral part of the adult world. Again, irony is created by the fact that Briony is unable to see through Lola’s dissembling, and that the bruises and scratch have been caused by Paul Marshall rather than the twins.
Briony's account of the encounter
Briony's account of the encounter
- As Briony is the focalizer in this chapter, her discovery of the sexual encounter between Cecilia and Robbie may take the reader by surprise.
- Briony’s confusion and innocence about what she has witnessed is seen in her childish perception of it as “an attack, a hand-to-hand fight” (p123) due to the extremity of Robbie’s and Cecilia’s passion.
- The description of the lovers (“He had pushed his body… gripping her hair… had trapped her”) suggests that, in Briony’s imagination, she confuses (or associates) sex and violence together.
Lola's scars
Lola's scars
- Lola also bears the scars of a probable sexually-motivated attack.
- This may contribute to her insistence that Robbie is a “maniac” or “monster”, displacing her feelings of guilt, blame and shame onto him.
- Briony and Lola both lack the maturity to understand or fully process what they have witnessed or suffered.
Theme: Briony as writer
Theme: Briony as writer
- Once again, Briony tries to assert control over the events she has witnessed (“Order must be imposed” p115) by transforming them into fiction.
- She assigns roles and places herself in the middle of the drama as “her sister’s protector” (p123).
1Introduction to Atonement
1.1Introduction & Background to Atonement
1.2Focus of Your Exam: Crime Texts
2Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part One
2.6Chapter 6
2.10Chapter 10
2.11Chapter 11
2.12Chapter 12
2.13Chapter 13
2.14Chapter 14
3Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Two
3.1Pages 191-201: To the Farmhouse
3.2Pages 202-213: The Night in the Barn
3.3Pages 214-226: The Attack
3.4Pages 226-234: Robbie's Reflections
3.5Pages 234-246: To the Bridge over the Canal
3.6Pages 246-254: Arrival at Dunkirk
3.7Pages 254-265: To the Cellar
4Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Three
4.1Pages 269-277: London, 1940
4.2Pages 277-286: Briony as Writer
4.3Pages 287-315: Victims of War
4.4Pages 315-327: Lola & Paul Marshall’s Wedding
4.5Pages 328-349: The Visit
5Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Four
5.1Epilogue: London, 1999 - Pages 353-371
6Key Character Profiles
6.1Briony Tallis
6.2Robbie Turner
6.3Cecilia Tallis
6.5Paul Marshall
6.6Emily Tallis
7Key Themes
7.1Introduction to Crime Texts
7.2Crimes in Atonement
7.3Criminals in Atonement
7.4Victims in Atonement
7.5Detection in Atonement
7.6Settings in Atonement
7.7Guilt & Punishment in Atonement
8Writing Techniques
9Context
9.1Historical Context
9.2Social Context
9.3Literary Context
10Critical Debates
10.1Marxist Literary Criticism
Jump to other topics
1Introduction to Atonement
1.1Introduction & Background to Atonement
1.2Focus of Your Exam: Crime Texts
2Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part One
2.6Chapter 6
2.10Chapter 10
2.11Chapter 11
2.12Chapter 12
2.13Chapter 13
2.14Chapter 14
3Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Two
3.1Pages 191-201: To the Farmhouse
3.2Pages 202-213: The Night in the Barn
3.3Pages 214-226: The Attack
3.4Pages 226-234: Robbie's Reflections
3.5Pages 234-246: To the Bridge over the Canal
3.6Pages 246-254: Arrival at Dunkirk
3.7Pages 254-265: To the Cellar
4Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Three
4.1Pages 269-277: London, 1940
4.2Pages 277-286: Briony as Writer
4.3Pages 287-315: Victims of War
4.4Pages 315-327: Lola & Paul Marshall’s Wedding
4.5Pages 328-349: The Visit
5Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Four
5.1Epilogue: London, 1999 - Pages 353-371
6Key Character Profiles
6.1Briony Tallis
6.2Robbie Turner
6.3Cecilia Tallis
6.5Paul Marshall
6.6Emily Tallis
7Key Themes
7.1Introduction to Crime Texts
7.2Crimes in Atonement
7.3Criminals in Atonement
7.4Victims in Atonement
7.5Detection in Atonement
7.6Settings in Atonement
7.7Guilt & Punishment in Atonement
8Writing Techniques
9Context
9.1Historical Context
9.2Social Context
9.3Literary Context
10Critical Debates
10.1Marxist Literary Criticism
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