5.1.1
Pages 353-371: Key Events
Key Events in the Epilogue: Briony Returns Home
Key Events in the Epilogue: Briony Returns Home
A 77-year-old Briony, now a famous writer but suffering from vascular dementia, has concluded the novel that we are reading - Atonement.
Imperial War Museum & Tallis home
Imperial War Museum & Tallis home
- Briony visits the Imperial War Museum and there sees Paul Marshall and Lola.
- She then visits her childhood home (now a hotel) to watch a performance of her childhood play, The Trials of Arabella.
Changes to the Tallis home
Changes to the Tallis home
- The Tallis house is now a hotel. It, and its grounds, have undergone many changes.
- “The music was still playing as turned into the drive of Tilney’s Hotel” (p363).
Allusion to Henry Tilney
Allusion to Henry Tilney
- The reference to “Tilney’s” is an allusion to Jane Austen’s novel, Northanger Abbey and, specifically, the character of Henry Tilney who speaks the lines quoted in the epigraph to Atonement: “Dear Miss Morland….”.
- The Miss Morland to whom these words are addressed is Catherine Morland, the heroine of the novel who, like Briony, misinterprets the world around her due to her love of fiction and story-telling.
Briony admits the truth
Briony admits the truth
- Briony reveals the truth of what happened to Cecilia and Robbie. In doing so, she justifies her decision to change historical events and create a fictional world in which Cecilia and Robbie survive.
Briony's fictional account
Briony's fictional account
- “There was a crime. But there were also the lovers.” (p370).
- Briony decides against the depressing “realism” of historical accuracy and provides a fictional account of Robbie’s and Cecilia’s love surviving in order to offer her readers a sense of “hope” and “satisfaction” (p371).
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
Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring
Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home
Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs
30+ school subjects covered