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Summary AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE B - CRIME WRITING ATONEMENT NOTES - Context and Literary Connections Notes
AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE B - CRIME WRITING ATONEMENT NOTES Context and Literary Connections Summary
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Context and Literary Connections InAtonement
Nevertheless, the age of culpability in England at the time was 8 years old. McEwan's
exact time setting of this first part in 1935 is extremely interesting, as before the
Children's and Young Person's Act of 1933, it was extremely rare for anyone under the
age of 14 to be convicted of a crime. By making Briony legally culpable for her crime, we
may be able to perceive McEwan himself as a supporter of the view that Briony should be
considered culpable, and if that is the case, her privileged life does indeed make her
crime worse, as we would believe the same about any upper-class criminal in Crime
Fiction.
In fact, the main reason for the success of Golden Age fiction, which McEwan draws
heavily upon in this first part, was the fact that the crimes were truly shocking and
repulsive, due to the very fact that they were committed by the privileged upper-classes
who had everything, and we should include Briony in this category of criminal.
Clarissa - Richardson
The book Cecilia is reading in Chapter 2.
Clarissa tells the story of a virtuous, beautiful young woman who is brought to tragedy by the
wickedness of her world.
There is also a character called Arabella linking to Briony's play.
Fielding
Fielding's novel is a classic example of the picaresque novel genre, which tells the story of a
roguish hero and his adventures. In "Atonement", the reference to "Tom Jones" serves as a
metaphor for the idea that the truth is subjective and constantly changing, depending on who is
telling the story and what their perspective is.
As Cecilia states that she refers Fielding (which were widely regarded as parodies of
Richardson's work) - this may showcase how Cecilia would prefer fun over studying.
Aristotle's Poetics
Briony's melodrama is intended; 'inspire...terror, relief and instruction, in that order' an illusion
to Aristotle's poetics where Aristotle stated the nature of tragedy is to inspire terror and pity.
Abyssinian Crisis
International crisis in 1935 when Italy invaded the independent country of Abyssinia in East
Africa.
LP Hartley's the Go Between
A child moving between two lovers carrying notes backwards and forwards. Other similarities
include the hot summer setting, dividing issues of class and confusions of a child faced with
adult sexuality.
Henry James in 'What Maisie Knew'
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