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Crime Elements in Atonement - Coggle Diagram
Crime Elements in Atonement
Type of Crime Text
Post Modern novel.
The postmodern theory that there is no absolute truth.
Ideas of
fragmentation, paradox and unreliable narrators
The inclusion of meta fiction, McEwan references literature within his novel many times. The Trials of Arabella, the inclusion of the letter written by Robbie, the stories written by Briony later in life. In the final chapter, the novel in its entirety is re-represented to the reader as a book written by Briony, who is a character within the novel.
Inconclusive endings,
Settings
Dunkirk
The Tallis house
Nature of the Crime
The rape itself is a legal crime
Falsely accusing someone is a legal crime
Manipulation is a moral crime
Robbie is punished for a crime he did not commit, and his actions are used as evidence. For example his letter written to Cecilia. However this was not a crime. Could this be deemed a moral crime?
Nature of the Criminal, motives
Violence, betrayal
The violence of the rape was only later revealed to the reader. Language such as
prised open
and
But the scratches and the bruises were long healed
The violence which Robbie is exposed to during his time serving.
The leg in the tree
Restoration of Order
Ambiguities in the restoration of order.
Initially it seems as though there has been a massive miscarriage of justice in that Robbie is falsely accused of the rape of Lola and is sent to serve in the second world war, a part of which we observe in the second part of the novel. Featuring Robbie in Dunkirk, meanwhile Paul Marshall has not been punished for his actions and Briony has not been found out for causing this miscarriage of justice.
Readers later are presented with a false restoration of order in that we are told the story of Briony going back to find Cecilia and Robbie and confessing the lie. This was her attempt to atone. However, even this does not result in a restoration of order because Lola inevitably marries Paul Marshall.
This is then altered when McEwan reveals that the novel in its entirety is written 'by Briony' and that her confession was in fact a false narrative. There was no true atonement and no restoration of order. Briony simply attempts to atone through creating a narrative in which she does confess and they both survive.
Victims and Suffering
Lola, the victim of rape at the hands of Paul Marshall. A victim of manipulation by Briony.
Cecilia, becomes a victim to Briony. Who ultimately betrays her when Robbie is falsely accused. Dies as a result of warfare.
Robbie, a victim to a miscarriage of justice. Falsely accused of rape. This is no questioned as a result of his socioeconomic background.
Dies by blood poisoning.
Danny Hardman, a victim to stereotypes implemented in 14th century England. He was assumed to be the rapist when Robbie is innocent.
Love
Robbie and Cecilia.
Robbie and Cecilia were very much a doomed love story. The pair were divided by their socioeconomic backgrounds. They did not see life through the same lens, this is evident in what would come natural to Cecilia did not come natural to Robbie. For example when he took off both his shoes and his socks when coming into the Tallis household- which Cecilia found odd.
Cecilia is more ingrained in her middle class mindset than she may realise. She blames Danny Hardman for the crimes over Paul Marshall.
The maternal love between Cecilia and Briony. It is mentioned towards the beginning of the novel that Cecilia was much of a motherly figure towards Briony in the absence of their mother due to her illness. This heightens the betrayal against Cecilia.
The lack of love between the Tallis parents. The idea of determinism for Briony's narcassism?
Structural Patterning
The effects on readers
Comments on the stereotypes of people of classes.
Comments on the tragedy that is war.