Pages 226-234: Key Events
English Lit: AQA A Level Atonement - Specification B, topic 3.4.1
Key Events in Pages 226-234: Robbie’s Reflections
As Robbie trudges northwards, he once again reflects on his past. He puzzles over Briony’s reasons for her accusation against him and recalls an incident in which he saved Briony from drowning.
Trying to understand Briony
- Robbie reflects on the travesty of justice which he has suffered.
- He tries to understand events from Briony’s perspective but finds it almost impossible to ‘read’ her, partly due to her young age.
Quotation: "this child's mind"
- “How to begin to understand this child’s mind?” (p229)
- This question amplifies a key theme in the novel and one which Briony, as a budding writer, kept coming back to in Part One of the novel – how can we truly ‘know’ or ‘understand’ another person?
- The motivations behind people’s words and actions are often a mystery. Robbie can only guess at Briony’s motives but has begun to develop a “theory” which might explain her actions.
Test yourself on Pages 226-234: Key Events
What incident does Robbie recall as he tries to understand Briony’s reason for accusing him?
Why does Robbie struggle to read Briony, when thinking about her accusation against him?