Atonement Part 1

Summary - The novel begins with the innocent scenario of a young girl, Briony, and her creative writing. She writes a play, "The Trials of Arabella", for her cousins to be cast as a surprise for her brother, Leon, returning home. However, her dreams of the perfect play are shattered when her ten year old cousins, Jackson and Pierrot, do not fit their parts appropriately. She is also disappointed because she unwillingly gives the role of Arabella to her 15 year old cousin, Lola, and feels like her play has lost all of its meaning and eventually cancels it.

Briony's sister, Cecilia, is home from college and is not sure what to do with the rest of her life. She ponders her identity and the possibilities of leaving home. Cecilia and the servant's son, Robbie, have grown up together around the house with an ongoing attraction to one another, even though Cecilia refuses to recognize it at first. Cecilia carries a vase of sentimental value out to the fountain where she and Robbie are fighting over it. The vase ends up broken into pieces in the fountain. Cecilia boldly strips down to her undergarments and retrieves the rest of the pieces from the fountain.

Briony witnesses this scene from her bedroom window and wonders what it could possibly mean. This thought leads to many mature psychological theories that enter her mind. She explores the possibilities of creativity and tries to reflect that in her writing.

Leon comes home with his creepy friend, Paul Marshall, who is in the chocolate business. Cecilia, Leon, and Paul all relax by the pool and talk of how their lives have been. Leon tells Cecilia that he has invited Robbie to dinner. This frustrates her because she is so annoyed with him about the scene from earlier that day at the fountain.

As Robbie is getting ready for dinner at the Tallis' house, he realizes his strong romantic feelings for Cecilia. He wants to express his feelings in a letter, but he can't find the words. He looks at his medical textbooks and discovers a picture of the vagina. He types, "I want to kiss your cunt. Your sweet wet cunt," with no intentions of this being seen. He writes another letter but picks up the explicit one instead. He gives the letter to Briony to deliver to Cecilia. Briony reads it out of curiosity and is mortified at the use of the word "cunt." She confides in Lola and they are both equally shocked. They both agree that he is a maniac and they must protect Cecilia from him.

Robbie confronts Cecilia about the mix-up in the letters in the Tallis' library. One thing leads to another, and they let out their sexual tension towards each other and make love. Briony walks in on the scene and her suspicions about Robbie.

The dinner was quite awkward to say the least. The twins ask to be excused from the table. After their dismisal, a letter is discovered in their seats. Lola reads that the twins are miserable in their new home and they have decided to run away. This sets everyone into a frantic search on the grounds late at night.

Briony searches the grounds with the intentions of finding the twins and protecting Cecilia from Robbie. She goes to the lake island on their property because she had a hunch Jackson and Pierrot might be there. Instead she finds Lola on the ground and her sexual assaulter running away. Briony is convinced it is Robbie, even though Lola didn't clearly see the attacker. Briony is almost positive it was Robbie because of the events from earlier, but something in her is doubtful. She ignores these doubts by steadily convincing herself.

Briony tells her family of the attack and the authorities arrive at their house. All of the family is questioned, but Cecilia is obviously disturbed by Robbie being accused of the crime. Briony shows the "cunt" letter to the police and everyone else, which frustrates Cecilia even more. Robbie finally returns with the twins, but he is arrested. Briony watches his arrest from her bedroom window and sees him and Cecilia have one last conversation. Briony admires her sister at what she believes is her forgiving heart. She still struggles with doubt into the coming years of her life.

Response - This is definitely the best book that I have ever had to read for an English class. After the slow moving 79 pages, I was intruiged. I love how McEwan shows the all of the deep layers of the main characters, especially Briony. She is a girl at her awkward stage between being a girl and a woman, and she really doesn't know how to handle her new maturity. Her creative mind is phenomenal, but I feel like she thinks she knows more than she actually does.

Paul Marshall creeped me out since he was introduced. I'm pretty sure he is the one who raped Lola instead of Robbie because of the awkward nursery scene where he is admiring her. Cecilia and Robbie remind me of Romeo and Juliet in a way. They are separated by class, but there is that undeniable chemistry between them. Robbie's arrest is tragic for Cecilia. I loved reading the scene where he is about to go off in the cop car, but they have their final loving words.

I pity Lola, Jackson, and Pierrot. They feel abandoned in a house where they don't belong because of a wreckless mother and divorce. This is something that we take lightly now because of the astronomical divorce rate, but the effect on the children is still the same throughout the ages. I'm glad McEwan reminds us of this.

I'm anxious to see how the rest of the story plays out. I am almost 100% sure that Robbie is innocent and Paul Marshall is to blame. The whole time I just want to save Robbie from his awful fate. I also want Briony to stop being so stubborn and actually investigate her self-doubt. But that's just where her naivety (sp?) is destructive and not innocent like in her writing. She doesn't understand the concepts of romance, love, and sensuality. This isn't necessarily her fault because she's only a child. However, I hope that this misunderstanding clears up and justice is served.

But then again, what if I'm wrong? What if Robbie really did do it?

I guess I'll find out later.