Introduction
Studying the novel
Synopsis
Melodrama and misunderstandings, A note delivered, A witness to a terrible crime, The war in France, A nurse in London, A wedding, Briony’s final yearsCharacters & Themes
Characters
The Characters, Briony Tallis, Robbie Turner, Cecilia Tallis, Lola Quincey, Paul Marshall, Emily Tallis, Leon Tallis, Nettle and MaceGenre, Structure & Language
Genre
Genre through the ages, Writing about childhood, Study focus: The child in an adult world, Atonement as war novel, Atonement as crime-writingStructure
How is Atonement organised?, The three parts of Atonement, Progress booster: Different narrative structures, Indistinct viewpoints, Study focus: Tiny incidents, A single voice, Progress booster: A widening field of view, The messiness of real lifeLanguage
Briony’s self-consciously literary style, The importance of objects, Study focus: Proper nouns and specialist language, Revision task: Linguistic devices, Robbie’s style in Part One, Narrating the war, Key quotation: Synesthesia, Progress booster: Narrative tension, Briony’s literary style, Study focus: The omniscient narrator, Briony’s final voiceContexts & Interpretations
Progress Booster
Assessment focus
How will you be assessed?, What do the AOs actually mean?, What does this mean for your revision?How to write high-quality responses
Five key areas, 1. The structure of your answer/essay, Aiming high: Effective opening paragraphs, 2. Use of titles, names, etc., 3. Effective quotations, Aiming high: Effective use of quotations, 4. Techniques and terminology, 5. General writing skillsQuestions with statements, quotations or viewpoints
Key skills required, Answering a ‘viewpoint’ question