4.2.2

Pages 277-286: Key Themes

Test yourself

Key Themes in Pages 277-286: Briony as Writer

Briony is presented as more mature than her fellow trainees who are rather “theatrical” in their expressions of homesickness.

Illustrative background for Briony's distance from familyIllustrative background for Briony's distance from family ?? "content

Briony's distance from family

  • By contrast, Briony’s letters home are “concise” and “conveyed little more than that she was not ill, not unhappy…” (p277).
  • Briony is more distant from her home and family than the others and she values her “independence” (p278).
Illustrative background for Briony's shock at the marriageIllustrative background for Briony's shock at the marriage ?? "content

Briony's shock at the marriage

  • The news of the marriage of Marshall and Quincey has a profound “shock” on Briony. We see, perhaps for the first time, her intense feelings of “guilt” and her fear that what she did in Part One was “unforgivable” (p285).
Illustrative background for Events from Part One-ThreeIllustrative background for Events from Part One-Three ?? "content

Events from Part One-Three

  • We learn a little of the time between the events in Part One and the ‘present’ in Part Three - such as Briony living with her relatives in London, apart from either of her parents.
  • We can also infer a romantic relationship between Marshall and Lola.
Illustrative background for Symbolism: damaged statueIllustrative background for Symbolism: damaged statue ?? "content

Symbolism: damaged statue

  • The damage to the statue in the Triton fountain at home is symbolic of how the life of privilege enjoyed by families such as the Tallises will soon be disrupted by the social changes stemming from World War 2.

Jump to other topics

1Introduction to Atonement

2Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part One

3Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Two

4Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Three

5Chapter Summaries & Analysis: Part Four

5.1Epilogue: London, 1999 - Pages 353-371

6Key Character Profiles

7Key Themes

8Writing Techniques

9Context

10Critical Debates

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