4.3.1

Pages 287-315: Key Events

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Key Events in Pages 287-315: Briony Worries About Robbie

The first casualties from Dunkirk arrive at Briony’s hospital. After a difficult start, in which she worries that she is failing, she begins to grow more confident and is praised by Sister Drummond.

Illustrative background for Briony's manuscriptIllustrative background for Briony's manuscript ?? "content

Briony's manuscript

  • At the end of this section, Briony receives encouraging feedback from a publisher on her manuscript.
Illustrative background for Briony's fears for RobbieIllustrative background for Briony's fears for Robbie ?? "content

Briony's fears for Robbie

  • Briony worries about Robbie being killed in France.
  • Briony’s fear of Robbie not returning home is described as “her secret torment”.
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Quotation: room without a door

  • “To Briony, it appeared that her life was going to be lived in one room, without a door” (p288).
    • The nightmarish image of a room without a door suggests Briony’s dread of being unable to escape from her past (“She longed to have someone else’s past” p288).
    • The fear that Robbie won’t come back and that “the war might compound her crime” conveys a suffocating sense of guilt.

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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