Truth vs Deceit
Truth in relationships
● Relationship between Cecilia and Robbie is pure love (the fact that they waited
for each other. Cecilia stayed loyal to Robbie (shows her commitment for her
relationship with Robbie and her love for him) She also stops talking to her family
because they deceived Robbie “I pushed past him”
● Cecilia and Robby wish to reveal the truth but brioy, and social norms, classes
and expectations don't allow it
● For Brioney the scene was her truth that truth changes and develops as she
writes the novel as she processes the events and understands them better
● Deceit of Anna - lies and deceives those around her to manipulate the situation
to what best suits her.
● Karenin willing to withhold the truth in order to protect Anna from the effects of
her actions as well as protect himself from the potential of a scandal “I will not
have a scandal”
● Relationship between Kitty and Levin. It is pure, she gives up her life in the upper
class to live in the countryside. Levin is honest with Kitty about Nikolai’s wife
(truthfulness of their relationship). “Kitty is an angel and I am of Earth”
Deceit in relationships
● Briony deceives Robbie- accuses him of rape, with very little full proof, “Yes I
saw him. I saw him with my own eyes”. Ironic because Briony says she will be
“eternally grateful” to Robbie.
● Deceit of Ana to Karenin. “You may, by indiscretion, give the world occasion
to talk about you.” Even the world is seeing her deceit. Karenin: “tell me what I
did to deserve this”
● Lola allows Robbie to take the blame and accusation even though she knows
what this would entail
Truth caused from deceit
● Briony tells the truth in the end to the world. “Effect of all this honesty was
rather pitiless”
● Cecilia does acknowledge the fact that she loves Vronsky to Karenin. “I am his
wife now. I am having his child”
, Forgiveness vs Revenge
Forgiveness
● Karenin forgives Ana even after she has deceived him. “Begged me for my
forgiveness”- Karenin. Ana has the guilt of being forgiven that she has to live
with.
○ Anna seeks forgiveness to ease her own pain
● Briony attempts to gain compassion and forgiveness by writing the novel and
from there telling the truth during the interview on what actually happened.
○ She attempts to reach out to C.
■ C denies her of forgiveness by disregarding the idea of meeting
with her sister
● Lack of forgiveness in Cecilia when she does not respond to any of Briony’s
letters and does not accept seeing Briony- “I just pushed past him”-makes
sacrifices in order to keep in touch with Cecilia again.
Atonement vs Guilt
Atonement
● Briony- Doesn’t fully atone to her sins.
○ Doesn’t make their lives better
○ Doesn’t take any physical steps till right at the end
○ Avoids confrontation
● “I was too much of a coward to go see my sister”- Writes letter to her sister to
apologize, however she could have gone to see her in person
○ C. also never responds making it difficult for Brioney to hve the confidence
to see her
● She rejects studying at Cambridge and goes to work as a nurse during the war.
“I decided to make myself useful and do something practical”- sacrifices the
success of her future in order to help others. Puts herself in a prison-like
environment as she has a loss of identity as well as denies herself the right to
anything.
○ Wishes to understand what she has condoned Robby to in order to gain
some form of atonement through punishment and understanding
● She rewrites the novel multiple times and dedicates this as her last novel.
Acknowledges the fact that Robbie and Cecilia deserve happiness, and she
attempts to give them this happy ending in her novel.
○ Writing acts as processing to ensure she tells the best truth of what really
happens
○ Changing the ending could be seen as her avoiding the truth pushing her
further from atonement
Truth in relationships
● Relationship between Cecilia and Robbie is pure love (the fact that they waited
for each other. Cecilia stayed loyal to Robbie (shows her commitment for her
relationship with Robbie and her love for him) She also stops talking to her family
because they deceived Robbie “I pushed past him”
● Cecilia and Robby wish to reveal the truth but brioy, and social norms, classes
and expectations don't allow it
● For Brioney the scene was her truth that truth changes and develops as she
writes the novel as she processes the events and understands them better
● Deceit of Anna - lies and deceives those around her to manipulate the situation
to what best suits her.
● Karenin willing to withhold the truth in order to protect Anna from the effects of
her actions as well as protect himself from the potential of a scandal “I will not
have a scandal”
● Relationship between Kitty and Levin. It is pure, she gives up her life in the upper
class to live in the countryside. Levin is honest with Kitty about Nikolai’s wife
(truthfulness of their relationship). “Kitty is an angel and I am of Earth”
Deceit in relationships
● Briony deceives Robbie- accuses him of rape, with very little full proof, “Yes I
saw him. I saw him with my own eyes”. Ironic because Briony says she will be
“eternally grateful” to Robbie.
● Deceit of Ana to Karenin. “You may, by indiscretion, give the world occasion
to talk about you.” Even the world is seeing her deceit. Karenin: “tell me what I
did to deserve this”
● Lola allows Robbie to take the blame and accusation even though she knows
what this would entail
Truth caused from deceit
● Briony tells the truth in the end to the world. “Effect of all this honesty was
rather pitiless”
● Cecilia does acknowledge the fact that she loves Vronsky to Karenin. “I am his
wife now. I am having his child”
, Forgiveness vs Revenge
Forgiveness
● Karenin forgives Ana even after she has deceived him. “Begged me for my
forgiveness”- Karenin. Ana has the guilt of being forgiven that she has to live
with.
○ Anna seeks forgiveness to ease her own pain
● Briony attempts to gain compassion and forgiveness by writing the novel and
from there telling the truth during the interview on what actually happened.
○ She attempts to reach out to C.
■ C denies her of forgiveness by disregarding the idea of meeting
with her sister
● Lack of forgiveness in Cecilia when she does not respond to any of Briony’s
letters and does not accept seeing Briony- “I just pushed past him”-makes
sacrifices in order to keep in touch with Cecilia again.
Atonement vs Guilt
Atonement
● Briony- Doesn’t fully atone to her sins.
○ Doesn’t make their lives better
○ Doesn’t take any physical steps till right at the end
○ Avoids confrontation
● “I was too much of a coward to go see my sister”- Writes letter to her sister to
apologize, however she could have gone to see her in person
○ C. also never responds making it difficult for Brioney to hve the confidence
to see her
● She rejects studying at Cambridge and goes to work as a nurse during the war.
“I decided to make myself useful and do something practical”- sacrifices the
success of her future in order to help others. Puts herself in a prison-like
environment as she has a loss of identity as well as denies herself the right to
anything.
○ Wishes to understand what she has condoned Robby to in order to gain
some form of atonement through punishment and understanding
● She rewrites the novel multiple times and dedicates this as her last novel.
Acknowledges the fact that Robbie and Cecilia deserve happiness, and she
attempts to give them this happy ending in her novel.
○ Writing acts as processing to ensure she tells the best truth of what really
happens
○ Changing the ending could be seen as her avoiding the truth pushing her
further from atonement
