Chapter 1 summary
The Play
Briony’s POV
Characterisation of Briony- need to control/ seeks attention/ creative
Trials of Arabella
Briony’s admiration for Leon- she puts on the play for him- obsession with him.
Interestingly Novel starts with Briony/ mother rs when we know Emily’s absent/ neglectful thru story.
Introduction of Twins/ Lola and their victimhood.
Briony wants the cousins to play the parts in her play- horrified when Lola asks to play the part of Arabella.
She feels childlike in comparison to Lola- in attempt to regain control she asserts herself as director.
Briony’s frustrations only grows as the cousins’ performance aren’t what she envisioned to execute her perfect play.
Symbolism in Chapter 1
Trials of Arabella
play ends with a love story between a heroine and doctor- the profession Robbie is now seeking. Important forshadow of later events- criminal motive- jealous as Robbie didn’t reciprocate same feelings.
Retrospective narration
points younger B in negative/ selfish light- small battle with Lola- struggles to control Twins’ chaos.
Chapter 2 summary
Fountain scene
Cecilia’s POV
Briony’s form of atonememt introduced as she provides readers the original love story by the founatain before her misconceptioned views in Ch3- focus on the love story she ruined.
Cecila as a victim of neglect/ gender/ society/ patriachy introduced- unable to get degree/ jealousy over Robbie’s education
Motif of time- stagnant, slow paced, stuck where she is. Spends whole chapter filling vase - false productivity
Symbolism of the Vase- sentimental value - belonged to uncle Clem from WW1 for his heroism. Kept as a family heirloom rather than sold to museam.
Cecilia fills vase by the founation and as Robbie tries to help it breaks. Cecilia refuses to accept any help from Robbie.
Symbolism in Chapter 2
Uncle Clem’s vase
Vase symbolic of Robbie and Cecilia’s relationship- precious and fragile object.
Breaking of vase mirrors the end of their relationship- could show Briony’s failure of atonement as their relationship never truly given to readers
Also symbolic of Tallis households wealth/ sentimental value of vase.
Setting
Heat becomes opressive instead of improving her mood - true victim
Chapter 3 summary
Fountain scene
Briony’s POV
Time is revisted from a different viewpoint.
Readers are privledged as we know Briony’s manipulating events from before- we are invited to see Briony as criminal.
B sees everything as material for her writing- childish fantasist- mixes fantasy with reality.
retrospective narration- hints of guilt- truth is slippery.
Briony’s selfish focus on the execution of the play/ lacks empathy- Twins’ suffering is marginalised.
Lola, in charge of her little siblings, creates sympathy- her maturity hasn’t come from experience/ time but rather been forced on her due to abandonement.
Lola’s victimhood reflects B’s criminal intent- Briony feels jealousy/ competition rather than sympathy.
Juxtaposition between Briony/ Lola- Lola forced to be an adult (crime of neglect), Briony wants to play role of adult.
Chapter 4 summary
Cecilia’s heroism- PM introduction
Cecilia’s POV
Cecilia spends afternoon repairing the vase- B passes by crying, Cee tries to comfort Briony- motherly role/ empathetic/nurturing/compassionate.
Frustrated with her lack of control over Briony.
Tragic heroine- class bias restricts her views on lower class.
Takes on role of hostess as Leon and PM enter- introduction of Paul M- Cecilia’s perceptiveness- PM is nothing but wealthy.
Trust is put into Cecilia due to juxtaposition of viewpoints/ narration bw Ch 2/3. Cecilia’s heroism.
nostalgia, reminiscing relationship with Leon
her thoughts on Robbie.
Cecilia sees PM for what he is- almost warns reader of his criminality. Heroism!
Chapter 5 summary
The Nursery
Lola’s POV
Briony cancels rehearsals for Trials of Arabella.
Shift to Lola’s POV contrasts how B views her, Lola/ Twins as victims- Briony’s POV is shown to be unreliable.
Motif of time- stagnation, time stands still, endless time- nothing to look foward to, so much time to waste= victims
Lola forced to play role of mother as the twins tear up- PM enters and his criminal intent is shown- he knows of Lola’s vulnerabilty- provides opportunity for his criminality.
Lola forces her adult persona infront of PM- he offers her a chocolate bar and watches as she eats it.
Idea of brands/ Amo bars to mirror PM status/ war profiteer
Nursery becomes setting that enables crime- isolated.
Chapter 6 summary
Emily’s migraine’s.
Emily’s POV
Begins with her thoughts on the children- instinctive
She retreats to her bedroom- tormented by her migraines that are constantly compared to an animal/ creature.
Thoughts trail from Leon’s success to Cecilia’s supposed snobbery- she thinks Cecilia lacks qualities of a women.
Emily begins to worry about Briony, who she thinks needs protection from against Lola.
She’s reminded of her much-resented sister Hermoine.
Emily thinks she’s omniscient whilst she actually misses many things which Cecilia picks up on, e.g., PM criminality.
She overlooks PM due to his wealth- product of her time.
Chapter 7 summary
Briony’s tantrum
Briony’s POV
Begins with narrative slips in retrospective narration- factual voice/tone not expected from 13 year old. Unreliable.
Briony slashing at the nettles- imagining Lola, twins, play writing and her childhood- wants to destroy her childhood.
13 slashes to represent each year of her life.
She imagines herself in the olympics slashing nettles with all attention on her- childish/naive contrast between slashing childhood away/attention seeking.
Carriage passes, she refuses to turn around.
She is frustrated to find herself not in a world of her own making- she decides to wait until something occurs to her to dissipate her feeling of insignificance.
Chapter 8 summary
Robbie’s letter
Robbie’s POV
Robbie portrayed to be- educated, humble, gentleman.
Outcast in the Tallis household- working class.
Robbie takes a bath whilst he remembers his interaction with cecilia- he adores her- tragic love trope. He ponders about whether he should go to the dinner in the Tallis house that night- wonders if Cecilia was truly angry at him.
Goes to his typewriter to draft a letter to Cecilia- letter motif introduction- mirrors part 2.
Briony’s atonement flickers through- she tries to give us two lovers- what she first missed when she watched fountain sc.
Picture of Robbie’s parents gives readers a small backstory of Grace/ Ernest (R’s parents), Ernest (Tallises’ gardener) leaving them and job, Robbie aged 6 and never returning.
Starts writing apology letter to Cecilia- writes a graphic descrition about how he’d like to make love to her.
Backstory of how Grace Turner stayed w the Tallises given.
As R walks to the house he thinks of how bright his future looks and how much he can accomplish in his lifetime.
Sees Briony on the way and gives her the letter to give to Cecilia- as she runs off he realises he gave the wrong letter.
Typewritten letter in envelope not the handwritten one.
Symbolism in chapter 8
Robbie’ bedroom
filled with books - Gray’s anatomy, magazines, compass, application forms= unlived futures.
He’s well travelled, well educated- all symbolism of potential futures he never got to live- futures Briony destroyed- tragic hero trope.
Imagined future’s with Cecilia- tragic love trope.
Letter- expression of love became evidence in Briony’s malicious crime.
Chapter 9 summary
Cecilia mothers twins/ reads Robbie’s letter
Cecilia’s POV
Cecilia gets ready for the dinner knowing Robbie will be there she seems to be indecisive about her outfit.
Spends a long time trying to decide what to wear.
As she opens door she’s met by the Twins in tears unable to find their socks- she comforts boys and cleans their room.
Plays motherly role/ nurturing effortlessly- true heroine.
Enters kitchen and has to calm a fight between Emily/ Betty- Cecilia’s perceptiveness- she knows ecxactly how to calm her mother- knows her mother sits with patriachy.
Stroll with Leon- C feels embarrassed over abortive projects
As cecilia walks back to the house she sees Briony- B passes Robbie’s letter to Cee.
Cecilia begins to realise her love for Robbie as she reads the letter- then realises letter is unsealed- asks is B read letter.
Before C can continue questionning PM shows, disrupting.
Chapter 10 summary
Briony consoles Lola/ Library scene
Briony’s POV
Briony’s misconception is made clear- she interprets the fountain scene + the letter very wrong.
She thinks Cecilia is in trouble and needs help from Robbie.
Her disgust for Robbie and the letter/ her thoughts.
Has the urge to turn this whole event into writing/ fiction.
Her thoughts about growing up/ writing is interrupted as Lola walks in upset over the Twins hurting her.
Briony consoles Lola as she starts to sob but B also feels a tiny bit of power over Lola as she sees her vulnerability.
B tells Lola about Robbie’s letter and they both ‘diagnose’ him as a maniac- Lola encourages B to tell the police.
She opens the library door after hearing some noises and sees R + C, thinks Robbie’s attacking Cecilia.
Percieves her sister as a ‘damsel in distress’ but we know she’s so much more than that.
Chapter 11 summary
Library scene/ Twins’ letter
Robbie’s POV
Setting- tradition of country house crime genre - everyone is dressed up for dinner/ aroung the table/ formalities but each one of them is hiding something.
Robbie wonders if B will confess what she’s seen in the letter and decides he doesn’t mind what the outcome is but she ends up saying nothing.
Time slips- analepsis/ prolepsis.
Library scene from R + C perspective- parallel narratives- romantic, passionate, innocent love making- emphasises Briony’s criminality in her false detective/ heroine role.
Back to dinner- Twins ask to leave the table and are dismissed but before they can leave B has childlike outburst over her socks being warn by the twins.
Contrast between the two sisters shown as Cecilia rises to defend the boys whilst selfish B feels betrayed by the one she wants to ‘protect’- once again thinking only ab herself.
Letter from the Twins is found by B where they say they’re running away- mispellings- innocent victims.
Search for Twins begins- ch ends with turning point in narrative- Robbie goes out on his own- enables accusation.
Chapter 12 summary
Phone call to jack/ Emily’s thoughts
Emily’s POV
Break in tension- narration switch from R to Emily.
time stops/ time is stagnant/ she’s ineffectual.
Emily feels resentment towards Lola due to her similarity with Hermione - Emily’s sister.
B’s reflexive narration sees how Emily enabled her crime.
She views the Twins/ Lola as a burden/ doesn’t think about their suffering- thinks them running away is all just a drama.
Emily thinks about her husband calling soon claiming he’s staying in London for work, though she knows the truth.
She thinks ab how Briony’s her last child/ nothing else important will happen to her till her death.
Reflects on the dinner- considers PM for marraige w Cecilia!
After half an hour, Jack calls- she tells him that the boys ran away- Jack realises they’ve been missing a while and says he’ll call the constable.
Leon, cecilia, Briony and Lola walk in and Emily knows something else is wrong.
Leon takes the phone and tells his father to come home.
Chapter 13 summary
Search for twins/ The Rape
Briony’s POV
Chapter 14 summary
Briony handing over letter/ Robbie returning with twins/ Robbie getting arrested
Briony’s POV
Part two summary
Dunkirk 1940 - Robbie at war
Robbie’s POV
Part three summary
London in the Blitz 1940 - Briony as a nurse
Briony’s POV
Epliogue summary
London 1999
Briony’s POV
Crime
presented not as a singular act, but as a consequence of perception, the real danger lies in the human desire to impose narrative order onto ambiguous reality
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Atonement21
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MLD, porphyria's lover, Laboratory- Browning52
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The Ballad of Reading Gaol - Wilde22
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Peter Grimes- Crabbe19
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Rime of the ancient Mariner - coleridge10
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IOBE- comedy paper3
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Comedy poetry Pt 1 - Flea, Satirical elegy, Sunny prestatyn2
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Comedy poetry Pt 2- Not my best side, My rivals hse2
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Comedy poetry Pt 3- Mrs Sisyphus, Tam o Shanter2
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Twelfth Night- Comedy paper29
