Tuesday, 18 January 2022
Atonement Key Passages
Part Three
pg 305 - 310
Luc Cornet passage
Opening line: ‘The sister said…’
Closing line: ‘…Nurse Tallis.’
• Briony’s rst real connection with someone in the novel - anonymity.
- She loves him in that moment (his attention and love), she had never really
received this but it is fast and real.
- Links to pg 230 - 232, Briony is still the young girl from the river, (metaphorically)
she jumps right into love and tells Robbie her feelings recklessly, much like how
she sel shly lies to Luc as he is confused and unable to truly make a connection
with her.
• She speaks his language, however poorly as she misuses it, but the
misunderstanding allows deeper understanding and connection.
- Written in French and English; mainly English, although we know that they are
speaking French - warped reality.
• Linked by war, Briony extrapolates Luc talking about her sister into thinking about
Robbie and Cecilia.
• Briony telling her own truth (only truth Briony speaks? - emotional truth) - is she a
bad person for doing this?
- Relates to the Allegory of the Cave - Briony giving her perception of the truth,
Plato thought there was one perfect copy of each thing, McEwan questions if
Briony was making her story perfect by completely dismissing the truth.
- Compassion, but in a false sense - may have her own best interests in mind as
his attention makes her feel better - links to Lola’s rape, where Briony disregards
compassion and uses Lola’s trauma to bene t herself and make herself the
centre of attention.
- Tries to tell the truth before she realises he is going to die, she wants to comfort
rather than deceive him.
1
fi fi fi
Atonement Key Passages
Part Three
pg 305 - 310
Luc Cornet passage
Opening line: ‘The sister said…’
Closing line: ‘…Nurse Tallis.’
• Briony’s rst real connection with someone in the novel - anonymity.
- She loves him in that moment (his attention and love), she had never really
received this but it is fast and real.
- Links to pg 230 - 232, Briony is still the young girl from the river, (metaphorically)
she jumps right into love and tells Robbie her feelings recklessly, much like how
she sel shly lies to Luc as he is confused and unable to truly make a connection
with her.
• She speaks his language, however poorly as she misuses it, but the
misunderstanding allows deeper understanding and connection.
- Written in French and English; mainly English, although we know that they are
speaking French - warped reality.
• Linked by war, Briony extrapolates Luc talking about her sister into thinking about
Robbie and Cecilia.
• Briony telling her own truth (only truth Briony speaks? - emotional truth) - is she a
bad person for doing this?
- Relates to the Allegory of the Cave - Briony giving her perception of the truth,
Plato thought there was one perfect copy of each thing, McEwan questions if
Briony was making her story perfect by completely dismissing the truth.
- Compassion, but in a false sense - may have her own best interests in mind as
his attention makes her feel better - links to Lola’s rape, where Briony disregards
compassion and uses Lola’s trauma to bene t herself and make herself the
centre of attention.
- Tries to tell the truth before she realises he is going to die, she wants to comfort
rather than deceive him.
1
fi fi fi
