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Theme: Social class - Coggle Diagram
Theme: Social class
Robbie
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In contrast to Paul, Robbie is intelligent and kind yet has no control over his own fate, which is decided for him by higher class characters
Robbie also assumes that is was Danny Hardman - is not immune to class prejudices - he never imagines it was Paul either
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The speed at which Robbie is determined to be the sole suspect --> lower class, biases held against him, he had felt a part of the Tallis family but he and his mother were just outsiders granted access
Part 2: Robbie known as Turner --> seen by class and legal status rather than as an individual
He is a private - low rank, yet is indispensable due to his education.
Army life stark contrast to Tallis' lifestyle - idea of low classes being soldiers whilst higher classes lead.
Robbie & Cecilia
Cecilia is the only one who deals with problems head on - acknowledges her ignoring of Robbie at Cambridge, announces her love for Robbie whilst the letter is being passed around (embarrassing, scary, risk of disownment) & threatens to disown her family and live alone in London when he is arrested
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1st chapter:
Cecilia walks around bored & smoking, convincing herself she has to stay due to obligation rather the laziness
Robbie: works as a gardener on the Tallis' grounds - emphasis on them funding his education, manual work connotation of low class --> manual labour in contrast to idleness
Breaking of the vase foreshadows Robbie's isolation from the family --> the beginning of the rift between them
Paul Marshall
His social class allows him to escape suspicion for the crime he committed - he even marries Lola to buy his way out of trouble.
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Chapter 14: Paul returns alone from searching, no one suspects anything
Emily Tallis
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Social norms
Elitist --> believes she & her family deserve their upper class position, and that people like Robbie should know their place
Traditional/ conservative - doesn't want Cecilia to pursue her education, set ideas about a woman place in society
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Paul Marshall
She trusts "Mr Marshall" - puts him in a room near Lola, Mr Marshall shows respect
"This wealthy entrepreneur might not be such a bad sort, if he was prepared to pass the time of day entertaining children" --> her classism and elitism prevent her from seeing the truth around her
Briony
Briony writes about being a nurse to atone for her sins, yet at the end of the novel she has a chauffeur and a big flat in Regent's Park - climbed the social ladder again
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McEwan's message
McEwan suggests that an individual's social status has little correlation with his moral or intellectual worth