Pages 315-327: Key Themes
English Lit: AQA A Level Atonement - Specification B, topic 4.4.2
Key Themes in Pages 315-327: Briony's Feelings
At the beginning of this section, Briony feels a “horrible exhilaration” (p316) at the prospect of a German invasion which lent a greater “clarity” to “everything she saw or touched”.
Briony's security in work
- Despite this, Briony is now much more secure in her work where there is “no drama now, only routine” (p317).
Patients' self-disgust
- Some of the wounded men in the hospital are “disgusted with themselves”.
- Although Briony does not discuss this in any detail, she does mention that some of the men are ashamed by their retreat, particularly those who had done so without firing a shot.
Briony's "cowardice"
- Briony is still haunted by her “cowardice” and lack of “backbone” (p320). There is a sense of shame that Briony tries to hide her guilt even in her writing, seen in her self-questioning (“Did she really think she could hide…?”) and the reference to “the evasions of her little novel” as if she cannot bear to confront the truth.
Key Themes in Pages 315-327: Lola & Marshall’s Wedding
At the wedding, Briony again feels guilt as the “memories” of the fateful night come to mind.
Sensory imagery: "rash"
- The sensory imagery used to describe these feelings as “like a rash” conveys how uncomfortable she is, as if the guilt is an illness.
Characterisation: Marshall & Lola
- The first sign of Marshall and Lola’s presence is the “polished black Rolls-Royce”, a symbol of wealth and status, outside the church.
- Marshall and Lola hold a “private ceremony” in a church which was “almost empty” with “no society journalists” present (p323). They clearly do not want publicity for their marriage, a sign that they may have something to hide.
- The mention of “sin” and “fornication” during the wedding ceremony creates irony.
"Mausoleum" metaphor
- The metaphor of a “mausoleum” is used to describe their marriage, the association with death creating an inauspicious start to their married life.
- The imagery of their secret shame being “bricked up” creates a sense of injustice and helplessness, with Robbie condemned to pay for a crime that he did not commit.
Test yourself on Pages 315-327: Key Themes
What does Briony feel about the prospect of a German invasion?
Complete the quotations showing Briony's sense of shame.