3.7.2
Pages 254-265: Key Themes
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Key Themes in Pages 254-265: To the Cellar
As Robbie’s wound leads to fever and delirium, the narrative begins to resemble a stream of consciousness.
Reliving the boy's burial
- The stream of consciousness captures Robbie’s fragmented thought process as he flits between his wartime experiences and his memories of the past in England.
- Robbie feels the need to “go back and get the boy from the tree” (p262) and relives the burial of the other dead boy, suggesting he is deeply traumatised from his recent experiences.
"Metallic" water
- The reference to the “metallic” taste of the water is a reminder of Robbie’s physical state and a probable suggestion of internal bleeding.
- As we approach the end of Part Two, Robbie imagines the next day and the return of “order” to the world before his final thoughts which revolve around Cecilia and the repeated mantra, “Come back” (p265).
Ambiguity over Robbie's fate
- McEwan creates ambiguity at the end of Part Two by not revealing Robbie’s fate.
- His final words (“… you won’t hear another word from me”**) can be read as suggesting Robbie’s death.
Guilt & responsibility
- Robbie comes to realise that his ‘crime’ pales into insignificance when compared to the crimes committed in war: “But what was guilt these days? Everyone was guilty., and no one was… All day we’ve witnessed each other’s crimes” (p261). All of humanity is guilty.
- Robbie is still troubled by the thought that he could have done more to help and wants to ask the dead “if they held them accountable for their deaths” (p263).
Peace: Robbie & Briony?
- The trauma and guilt experienced by Robbie contrasts with Briony’s lack of responsibility.
- Robbie imagines he and Briony hiding or suppressing their respective feelings of guilt (“We’ll sleep it off, Briony”) suggesting Robbie making some sort of peace with her. However, we must remember that an older Briony is the ‘true’ narrator of Part Two and, again, may be manipulating our response to her crime.
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
Practice questions on Pages 254-265: Key Themes
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- 1What evidence is there that Robbie is traumatised on p262?Fill in the list
- 2What are Robbie's final words in Part Two?Multiple choice
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