atonement

• her mother, guilt-stricken by her absence from the family, would be spreading anxiety and confusion all about her.'


  reflects Emily Tallis' role as an absent mother figure, contributing to Briony's feeling of neglect
• Leon, who had the pure gift of avoiding responsibility'


  the problem with the upper class society is that no-one took responsibility for one another, causing issues. Taking after his father, avoiding responsibility of being a father figure by going off to work.
• there hung by three chains a great cast-iron chandelier which had never been lit in her lifetime.'


  reflects social class decline, also the fact that they don't know what to do with their wealth
• No one in her family, however, noticed the transformation in her, and she was not able to resist the power of their habitual expectations.'


  Cecilia feels the same type of neglect that Briony feels. She strives to be different and break free of her intrinsic class value yet she is restricted by her traditional family - post-modern character
• her parents were absent in their different ways'


  suggests Cecilia accepts why her parents must be so absent, Briony is not so good at accepting this. Cecilia also feels the need to be a maternal figure towards Briony
• She needed an adventure.'


  like Briony, Cecilia is longing for something interesting to happen to her. Foreshadowing of what's to come, little does she know this 'adventure' will lead to her death.
• Cecilia felt the gaze of the young Hardman on her. She returned it fiercely, and was gratified when he turned away.'


  foreshadows her accusal of Danny when Robbie is being accused - she becomes guilty of exercising the same social biases that Robbie is condemned by daily and is unable to break free of her intrinsic class values.
• No doubting that the irritation was directed at Mrs. Tallis.'


  reflective of the upper class, lower class split and the tension this causes within the household
• Emily put on her dark glasses'


  theme of concealment, she is oblivious to what is going on in her own household
• D'you know, there are girls getting all sorts of jobs now.'


  Leon's tone sounds surprised, shows attitudes to women but also that times are changing
• Literature and politics, science and religion did not bore him - they simply had no place in his world, and nor did any matter about which people seriously disagreed.'


  Leon is allowed to be oblivious to the world around him as his social privilege means he has no need to worry about controversial issues - reflects the lack of responsibility of the upper-middle class.
• his equanimity was bottomless, as was his lack of ambition.'


  his situation is so comfortable that he has no need to strive for anything more, he has had everything he has ever needed handed to him on a plate
• his blandness was perfectly tolerable, even soothing.'


  members of the upper class, although privileged, lack in personality since they don't have the life experience of the working class
• An old friend had got a girl with a lisp pregnant, had married her and was jolly happy.'


  this would be viewed as immoral, unconventional, shows times are changing and also the immorality of the upper class
• Confessing to her behaviour this morning was certainly not possible.'


  Cecilia is aware that her and Robbie's relationship is unconventional and would not be widely accepted by her family
• they heard the voice again - it was their mother trying to be stern.'


  Emily Tallis now struggles to exercise discipline over her children because of her absence in the family. The absence of Jack is once again felt
• She still had her arms about her neck, and was standing on tiptoe to nuzzle her cheek against his.'


  reflects Briony's childlike behaviour - can she be to blame for the crime she commits?
• Emily said soothingly, 'Calmly now.'.'


  instead of stepping into her role as a mother, Emily likes to try and brush any family issues under the rug instead of dealing with them
• Then Cecilia was aware of another figure in their presence, at the edge of vision, moving behind her'


  the image of Paul Marshall moving behind her perfectly portrays his sinister character and reflects the fact that they are all blind to his villainy because of his status in society
• I insist you try it.'


  Paul Marshall uses forceful language here, foreshadows Lola's rape and further characterises him as a villain
• though the shock of the message vindicated her completely, this did not prevent her from feeling guilty.'


  Briony admits that she feels guilt for what she is doing, goes ahead and does it anyway
• It was wrong to open people's letters, but it was right, it was essential, for her to know everything.'


  Briony is an extreme perfectionist, she needs every detail to be able to craft her stories perfectly. Her prying nature sets up the tragedy of the story
• She was one of those children possessed by the desire to have the world just so.'


  reflects Briony's perfectionistic character, suggests that she will go to extreme lengths in order to have her own way
• With a sound like a dry twig snapping, a section of the lip of the vase came away in his hand'


  foreshadows the rift that is caused between the family as a result of Cecilia having a sexual relationship with someone of a lower status, the word choice of 'snapping' is sudden and reflects the abruptness with which Robbie is condemned as a criminal
• I told him to join us tonight.'


  despite Robbie's position as an outsider in society, he is able to engage and fit in with his upper class friends who he went to Cambridge with. This demonstrates that he is only able to do this through the help of a member of a higher class
• There was nothing, and then, like a lamp turned on and off in total darkness, there was a little squeal of laughter abruptly smothered. Lola then, in the nursery with Marshall.'


  Emily is oblivious to all the immorality that occurs within her house, she misinterprets the sound of abuse for something positive
• This wealthy young entrepreneur might not be such a bad sort , if he was prepared to pass the time of day entertaining children.'


  shows Emily's extreme class biases, she uses Marshall's societal status and wealth to rule out the possibility of something sinister going on
• built in the style of Nicholas Revett'


  Revett was a British architect who recreated Ancient Greek ruins, links to tragedy genre and tragedy of the novel
• Closer to, the temple had a sorrier look'


  the neglect of the Tallis house becomes a microcosm for the decline of social class - from a distant everything looks fine but on close inspection, things were falling apart
• the stone floor was thickly covered in leaves and leaf mould'


  theme of concealment, trying to cover up the neglect
• The only furniture was a bench carried in from the village cricket pitch - again the youthful Leon and his terrible friends from school.'


  in her narration, Briony excuses Leon for his actions by his 'youth' but his friends are described as 'terrible', reflects her favouritism and fondness for certain characters over others
• nettles'


  the nettles become a symbol of the neglect of the Tallis house, and also they are poisonous, links to the poisonous attitudes of the upper class
• The older girl blew her nose and thought for a moment. 'I was getting ready for a bath. They came bursting in and pounced on me. They got me down on the floor...' At this memory she paused to fight another rising sob.'


  the use of the pronoun 'they' makes the reader question if she is really referring to her brothers or another, more sinister character.
• The effect of suffocation was heightened by the dark-stained panelling reaching from the floor and covering the ceiling.'


  the feeling of concealment and suffocation is significant to the crime genre, could link to Robbie's feelings as a working-class person reliant on upper-class people, or the tension that is caused as a result of Jack's absence
• The silence that followed as they settled and unfolded their napkins would easily have been dispersed by Jack Tallis introducing some barely interesting topic while Betty went around with the beef.'


  Jack Tallis' absence is very much felt within the Tallis household. It creates a feeling of tension, this shows the patriarchal system that still reigned, once the father figure is gone, there is uncertainty
• It was a library, in a house, in total silence. He was wearing his best suit.'


  Robbie suddenly becomes aware that he and Cecilia have transgressed in a place which is supposed to be quiet, peaceful, undisturbed. He feels out of place once again
• Robbie wanted to know why Marshall had not mentioned the matter before if Lola had been so badly harmed, but the table was now in commotion.'


  Robbie is the only character who seems to be able to see past the social class of a person, the other characters completely rule out Marshall as a suspect simply because of his class. Tragic because Robbie suffers as a consequence while he is the only one who knows the truth
• She had opposed Jack when he proposed paying for the boy's education'


  shows Emily Tallis is more of a traditional character, she is opposed to the idea of helping out a member of the working class, she is conscious of reputation
• Thinking of the dinner again - how artfully Mr Marshall had put everyone at ease. Was he suitable?'


  reflects class biases, shows Marshall's cunning nature. Also shows that she doesn't know her own daughter due to her absence, she feels Cecilia is incapable of making her own decisions
• Within the half an hour Briony would commit her crime.'


  chapter 13 is entirely framed around her crime, gives it importance and significance within the novel