Reading Rocks!

Atonement: Meeting Cont...

If you get a chance, here are some of the discussion questions we'll be reviewing:

STARTING POINTS FOR YOUR DISCUSSION

1. Robbie is treated like a member of the Tallis household. He has had a Cambridge education and is considering going to Medical College, however, he is still the housekeeper’s son. What bearing does this have on his and Cecilia’s relationship and the reaction he receives after the allegations?

2. Robbie writes Cecilia a sexually explicit love letter that she never should have read. How do the events that result from this letter compare with the romantic ideals of love as harboured by young Briony in her play?

3. Leon and Cecilia are adults in an adult world whilst Briony is thirteen and still a child trying to impress her siblings. How does being the youngest sibling affect Briony’s actions throughout the novel?

4. Briony is precocious and harbours delusions of adulthood. These delusions are challenged both by the homecoming of her newly graduated sister and the arrival of her glamourous cousin, Lola. To what extent do her feelings of inferiority brought on by these events drive Briony to make the rape allegations? Why does she substitute Cecilia and Robbie as the victim and the assailant?

5. Robbie witnesses many horrific sights in France. How does his experience of the war compare with those of the sisters? How realistic do you think McEwan’s descriptions of the horrors of war are?

6. As an old lady Briony reveals that much of what she has told the reader is not true. Is this atonement of the title for her benefit or for ours? Is it too late for her to be asking for forgiveness?

posted by MJ @ 6:55 p.m.