atonement key themes - hmk
- Created by: valentina__calcagni
- Created on: 15-01-22 13:17
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- Key themes
- War
- Amo bars - Their presence on the battlefield - reminder of Marshall’s power and influence wartime can't separate Robbie from his misfortunes because of Paul’s misconduct, + that class protects the rich while throwing the poor into the face of death.
- Both Briony's and Robbie's internal wars
- Cecilia and Robbie stay connected through the letters
- symbolic of the chaos and breakdown in their relationship
- Guilt/ Atonement
- The use of the metafiction - Briony's 'crime' may be denying readers access to the truth - as well as her family
- Chooses not to expose her mistakes
- Attempts to atone for her sins through writing, by playing 'God'
- ATONEMENT: she attempts to re-establish their happiness which was lost - 'god' religious connotations
- GUILT: plays 'god' even with the readers - unreliable narrator and her need for control consumes her until the end - where nature decides to remove this control from her
- 'her ******' - Marshall shows no signs of guilt - highlights villainous nature
- Failures of the judicial system - doesn't allow Briony to atone - falsely places guilt onto someone who in the eyes of society is meritable of the burden
- The use of the metafiction - Briony's 'crime' may be denying readers access to the truth - as well as her family
- Love
- Sexual
love—lust/passion= transition from friends to lovers
- love letters, library scene (which blends violent imagery to show 'passion'
- all other couples lack this
- Breakdown in love - Lola's parents and Briony's parents
- Forbidden love—social class
- Unrequited love—Briony and Robbie
- Romantic love between Cecilia and Robbie—- Briony gives them a happy ending- not true in reality
- Emily Tallis - lack of love
- Briony never understands love - speaks little of husband who is only mentioned at very end - love for Cee riddled with guilt
- French soldier - dies and doesn't even know her name
- Briony never understands love - speaks little of husband who is only mentioned at very end - love for Cee riddled with guilt
- Sexual
love—lust/passion= transition from friends to lovers
- loss of innocence
- Lola's **** - establishes her as victim
- Traumatically introduces into a violent, unsafe world - in the aftermath she becomes complicit in Briony's lie but concealing the truth and marrying her ******
- As a 13 y/o Briony naively believes that she understands and can flawlessly interpret her surroundings - leads to crime
- Briony comes to realise that she can't interpret the world the way she thought
- Lola's **** - establishes her as victim
- The unchangeable past
- key plot developments stem from actions or experiences which can't be erased
- Briony testifies it was Robbie - inevitable fate and loses innocence se will never be able to restore
- Robbie's imprisonment - unable to continue prestigious life - violence permanently traumatise and change him
- Also links heavily to Robbie's status - no matter what he can't escape the prejudice against his roots
- key plot developments stem from actions or experiences which can't be erased
- War
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