Overview of Structure
English Lit: AQA A Level Atonement - Specification B, topic 8.1.1
Overview of the Structure of Atonement
Atonement is structured in 4 different sections: Parts One, Two and Three and then an epilogue entitled London, 1999.
Importance of Part One events
- Each section has a distinct time and geographical setting.
- The events in Parts Two, Three and the epilogue are heavily influenced by the key events in Part One – the sexual assault on Lola and the arrest of Robbie.
Roles of settings in Atonement
- Each setting plays a vital role in the novel:
- The country house setting of Part One reveals the darkness which lies beneath the façade of upper-middle-class respectability and sophistication;
- The wartime settings of Parts Two and Three provides us with a graphic illustration of the depths of cruelty and suffering which mankind is capable of.
Different focalizers in Atonement
- Parts Two and Three are focalised from the perspective of one particular character:
- Robbie in Part Two;
- Briony in Part Three.
- Part One has various focalizers:
- Briony in Chapter 1;
- Cecilia in Chapter 2;
- Emily in Chapter 6;
- Robbie in Chapter 8.
Test yourself on Overview of Structure
Which two events in Part One heavily influence the rest of the novel?
Which characters are focalizers in Part One?