Atonement revision booklet for AQA A Level English Lit B
To what extent do you agree with the view that Briony deserves her punishment for the crime she commits?
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English Literature B
Elements of Crime Writing
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How does McEwan create conflict and tension in the first 3 chapters
Atonement?
Conflict is a running element throughout the novel of atonement due to
the unreliability and uncertainty of the narrator, Briony. She is 13 when
the story takes place making her an unaware character which causes a
lot of issues for herself and others. Her being quite controlling and
meticulous could also lead to her own downfall. At the beginning of the
novel it is revealed that she wants to have power over others due to her
toys “all facing one way - towards their owner.” this could suggest that
she has little control in real-life due to her being the youngest in the tallis
family.
An example of one of Briony’s misinterpretations takes place in chapter
3 when looking down at Robbie and Cecilia at the fountain from the
nursery. Briony believes Robbie had the influence and power to make
Cecilia jump in the fountain, however, in chapter 2 we found out what
actually happened from Cecilia’s perspective. Briony being quite an
uninformed narrator can have quite daunting effects on the novel which
foreshadows what could happen in the future. Her older self speaking to
the reader realises the effects her misinterpretations have upon others
and with some irony “how easy it was to get everything wrong.”
Tension is again created in chapter 2 when both Cecilia and Robbie
break the family vase. By explaining its history, Cecilia gives the vase a
mythical status. The build-up makes the accident more dramatic as the
reader learns the significance of the vase and how valuable it is to the
tallis family. The breaking of it could also suggest the relationship
between Cecilia and Robbie and how it is broken and needs fixing.
Cecilia decides to ‘punish’ Robbie by stripping off in front of him which
shows the sexual tension which is between them. “Drowning herself
would be his punishment”
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