In which we are across the Channel and in France, following Robbie - or Turner as he is known here - towards the retreat at Dunkirk
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Jacqueline Abelson
said...
Part Two starts off with Robbie Turner, navigating two privates through the countryside of World War II France. The readers soon discover that Robbie has been injured, and has a shrapnel in his side. Currently, Robbie is teamed up with two other English corporals, Mace and Nettle. The three men are traveling towards the north of France to the town of Dunkirk, where they can catch a Naval ship back to England. The first thing that I noticed in Part Two, was the fact that one of the corporals was named Nettles. Where have we heard this name before? In Chapter 7, the reader witnesses Briony slashing away at ‘nettles.’ As we, the readers, later discover, it is Robbie Turner’s sidekick, Nettles – during the odyssey back to Dunkirk – who provides the older version of Briony with the necessary information she needs to atone. The other immediate thing that I noticed in the reading of Part Two, was how McEwan changes his tone throughout the pages. While Part One, took place in the summer, McEwan tagged the necessary images that you would typically find in the summer. He used bright descriptions and distinct smells of vegetation. However, as the readers enter Part Two, all that changes. McEwan sets up the second installment of his novel like it is a war–memoir. There are dark images and gory scenes that contrast Part One’s features. “There were horrors enough, but it was the unexpected detail that threw him and afterward would not let him go.” (Page 179). But overall, it is the entire section of Part Two that is entirely devoted to Robbie. For me, I was just blown away at the immediate change of scenery from country–home traditional novel style to a more historical approach. In a way, I felt like Part One – compared to Part Two – was more of a fantasy or a fairytale. Part One, was more mystical and mysterious. The scenes felt like they were unreal, yet at the same time, it was also believable. However, when you enter Part Two, you are instantly thrown into reality. Part Two feels more real because of the darkness and depth Robbie witnesses with his comrades. For instance, when Robbie, Nettle and Mace are walking towards Dunkirk, they come across an exodus of villagers with some other regiment British soldiers. But at one point, Robbie loses his cool and tries to throw a man from out of his truck, only to be reminded by Mace that they are not the enemy. “As he did so the diver leaned on his horn. The shrill Klaxon startled Turner into a sudden fury. Enough! He leap back to the diver’s door and wrenched it open. . . . Without releasing his grip, Corporal Mace pulled him away.” (Page 204). In this sense too, Robbie is drained and tired. He doesn’t know how much longer he can take, only that he must last until he sees Cecilia again. But this moment when Robbie suddenly snaps, shows how much Robbie has changed. Briony had taken Robbie out of his fantasy world and placed him in a world full of war and death. This is the new reality Robbie has to face, and it’s making him more and more unstable.
This section was heartbreaking to read. I really loved the way that Cecilia and Robbie communicate through their letters, regardless of their circumstances: “Robbie and Cecilia had been making love for years—by post,” (p. 193). Seeing each other after such a long time talking only through text caused both of them to question the strength of their relationship. Although I’m furious at Briony for acting so rashly, I can’t quite bring myself to hate her. I guess it’s her age that makes me want to treat her less harshly. And I’m sure she’ll feel the weight and consequences of her actions later on.
Although the lengthy descriptions in Part 1 didn’t bother me too much, I think that this section of the reading was very tedious and hard to get through. And of course, it was pretty depressing as well. I also think that until we got to the first page break, this reading had no connection to Part 1 at all. Cecelia was hardly mentioned, and Robbie didn’t seem to have the same personality. He was just…different. He reminded me of Billy Pilgrim in a lot of ways; he seemed too sensitive to function on the battlefield, and the two other men that he stuck with sort of ganged up on him; I didn’t like them very much, although it was kind of nice when they were burying that boy.
The only thing that really bothered me about this chapter was Cecelia’s anger towards her family. I know I said in the last section that I sympathized with her because her privacy was sort of being invaded, but I think her reaction was extreme. I mean, of course little siblings can do things that can not just drive you crazy but actually ruin your life…but at the same time, doesn’t family come before relationships? Just a though.
Unlike in part one i felt these pages were tedious and hard to finish, it felt like i was reading an entirely different book. Robbie is now referred to as Turner and is guiding two other soldiers through France.
I'm not really sure what to think of the now ruff and tumble corporal Robbie Turner. I like how he is a much more thoughtful person, i can really tell that he is older and his tone is more dark and sullen. Having gone through so much and given up his dreams of a future. He is obviously in bad shape and refuses to tell anyone about his wound. Which is sad.
His relationship with Cecilia is solely through letters. They linger and obsess over those few minutes in the library. When they finally do meet it's awkward, "They understood how far they had run ahead of themselves in their letters. This moment had been imagined and desired for too long, and could not measure up." (193) After not seeing each other for three years i don't find it very realistic that they are truly still in love. It seems that Robbie really does love her because he goes through the war persistent on staying alive for her, and he tries so hard to set up a time to see her again; but Cecilia doesn't seem to be willing to give much up on behalf of Robbie. Which is disappointing. I liked that Robbie wanted Cecilia to have a better relationship with her family and not hate them on his behalf. In Cecilia's response to Robbie's concern, she reveals that Briony had written a letter saying she wanted to meet and make things right. Although Cecilia is skeptical saying, "I don't want us to get our hopes up for nothing. She might not mean what i think she does, or she might not be prepared to see it through. Remember what a dreamer she is." (199) At least Briony is trying to do something to make things right.
In this chapter Robbie changes character. He goes from Robbie, son of Grace and a family friend of the Tallis. As Robbie he had dreams and aspirations. He was going to become a doctor but once Briony accused him everything changed. As Turner, his only goal is to survive and get back to Cecilia. Reading about his ingury it makes it seem so much worse than how it is in the movie. On one page his thoughts go to how with his every step he could feel the shrapnel moving in his body. I felt so much pity for him in this chapter but laughed in the awkward meeting between him and Cecilia. Their relationship is still there but since they had spoken to each other by letter they couldn't seem to speak when face to face. It was cute and funny.
Right as Part 2 begins there is something fundamentally different in the writing. There is no more summer, no illusion of endless time, nor eternal calmness that was present in the beginning of part one. this section of Part 2 felt rather emotionless and lonely. I also didn't realize until several pages in that Robbie is no more. He is only referred to as "Turner" which really makes a difference. Robbie was a child who worked in the garden, but Turner is just another man fighting for England. Because he is only referred as Turner I felt alienated. That is to say I knew it was Robbie but it felt like I was listening about a completely separate person, which is almost true because at this point we are so far from the start of this story. Certain parts the writing evoke the monotonous part of walking perfectly. And yet it wasn't just walking, it was walking with the knowledge of war lingering in the background. An example of this is on page 203, "The road led directly north, toward a black cloud of burning oil that stood above the horizon, marking out Dunkirk. No need for a compass now. Dotted along the way were disabled military vehicles. Nothing was to be left for enemy use. From the backs of receding lorries the conscious wounded stared out blankly." This description is just so bleak. This section reeks of bleakness. Bleakness and exhaustion. From the description of the barn they slept in as being full of bullet holes, to his memories of him and Cecilia writing; everything was so melancholy. Especially the memories. Memories in a time of war always seem to have some sort of desperation and hopelessness to them. What was most depressing about the letters was that they became so invested in writing them that they had forgotten how to communicate face to face. I wish they would just do away with the pleasantries and just be frank. That is probably the most frustrating thing about this story. The lack of proper communication.
This section totally changes the focus of the novel. Suddenly we are in France, years later, with no idea of the time in between. Since I've been urging to punch Briony for most of the last 179 pages, I am glad to take a break from her fictional world. But since I know that this story is Briony's, I am never quite free from her presence.
This part of the book seemed needlessly romanticized. I feel that McEwan included every war cliche he could. 3 men are separated from their unit. They find an unlikely leader in a wrongly accused convict. As they endlessly walk to their destination, their leader's only thoughts are about the girl he left behind, the girl who gave up everything for him, the girl who will always wait for them. The men stay in a French barn where the locals give them bread, cheese, and wine. I've already heard this story.
Cecelia's letter did answer some of my questions about what happened to Briony. She sees straight to Briony's motivations. Briony is punishing herself for her crime, not motivated to join the war effort. But mostly that letter describes the little things in Cecelia's life and reminds us of the trials of the minor characters, like the twins.
The beginning of the reading follows a soldier in France that we are not able to name until a couple of pages in. It turns out that it is Robbie now know as Turner which is a more adult name. I really liked the fact that we didn’t know who this person is for the beginning because it made it very confusing and almost stressful, just like war. Robbie keeps on saying that the only reason that he is still alive is because Cecilia is waiting for him. He keeps in touch with her through their numerous letters which he keeps with him at all times. We also find out that C ecilia is not talking to her family at all. She is mad at them for not standing up for Robbie and she doesn’t plan on forgiving them. I really like when Robbie realizes that Cecilia has to make amends with her parents before one of them die. This is really cool of Robbie/Turner because it shows that he really wants Cecilia to be happy and not suffer for his sake.
In this section, we see what effect Briony's decision really has. If going to jail wasn't bad, he ends up in France fighting the Nazis. Or more correctly, running away from the Nazis. This is sad because on the path he was on, he would have become a doctor, and would have been partially immune from being drafted. He needlessly looses his life because of a lie. Its really frustrating.
The author does a good job of portraying the misconceptions that Briony would have while writing about war. He puts in little falicies, which he points out at the end up the book, but it creates an interesting atmosphere for the reader. It almost feels like the book is being written right in front of you.
Robbie, is thrust into a horrifying new world, war. It was “ so different from anything [he] had seen” (183). Although he was not in jail he was imprisoned, his hope of returning was fading, “he wouldn’t last” (191). The only thing that gives him hope is a letter he receives from Cecilia stating, “I’ll wait for you. Come back” (190), something Cecilia would tell Briony when Briony was deep in thought, lost in her imagination. When Cecilia says “come back,” it could be directed towards Briony, who is telling her self through her own novel, to regret all her childish daydreaming that changed the corse of Robbie and Cecilia’s lives. If Robbie was “back,” with Cecilia and was never sent to prison, Briony would have never committed her crime. Every time Cecilia says, “come back,” Briony is reminded of her crime and how it effected her loved ones.
I found the majority of part 2 hard to read. The one part that really pulled me in, though, was when he thought about Cecilia. Their letters were so personal and sweet. He even says that Cecilia was his "reason to survive." I love how Briony wrote their love story. As opposed to the unfinished business and loose ends that Robbie's arrest provided the lovers with, Briony gave them a way to at least keep in contact. We don't know - and neither does Briony - if that is what actually happened. Another thing I really enjoyed was how Briony inserted herself into Cecilia's letters. She's finally old enough to understand how awful her crime was, but she still gives herself a small glint of hope from Cecilia ("I'm actually very excited about this news from my sister and what it could mean for us." [pg. 200])
This section is a complete turn around from the previous section. The reader moves to the war in France an unknown period of time later. The character of Robbie, or Turner, as he is now known is also very different. In the first section I imagined Robbie as a pretty innocent and inexperienced teenager, who had dreams for the future, but had not really accomplished anything yet. In this section he seems to have matured many years. He is now known by his last name and leads his group of soldiers even though he is the lowest in rank. I actually started to feel kind of bad for Turner. He has to go through so much hardship all for something he did not do, and no one believes that he didn’t do it only because he is the son of a servant. I really liked the part on page 186-7 where the French brothers describe a war scene with no fighting taking place in the writing. Instead McEwan just describes the aftermath very well with a lot of imagery and intensity.
To be honest I felt like part 2 was by far easier to read than part one.. I like how McEwan doesn't tell you whose view it is for a few pages, it makes you actually think about it, though I'm not really sure whose else it could have been. It seems like everyone has "grown" up when it comes to names, except for Cecilia. Briony becomes Tallis and Robbie becomes Turner. I think it was a good way to show how one event changed two people's lives so greatly that they became different people.
Even though this is not from Briony's view, I feel like... She's just there, watching over your shoulder making you read what she wants you to think. It makes me want to just smack her with a fly swatter. (Her writing about herself giving them some hope just pisses me off... It's all ME ME ME ME ME again....)
I feel really bad for Cecilia in this part of the book, not only has she "lost" the man she loves to the war, but she has also cut herself off from her family for him. Even though she makes the choice to not talk to her family, I feel like it would still be a hard thing for her. Having no one but the people she will meet and her letters to and from Robbie. Robbie's want for her to make amends with her parents, shows both his love for her and his ability to "forgive". Not necessarily for himself, but for her. She lives for Robbie though she knows she won't see him anytime in the near future (and as we know, ever). Their "breaks" not lining up also didn't help them at all. Cecilia promising, "I'm not going to go away, I'll wait for you" just makes the whole situation sadder.
This section was obviously a total flip from the first section showing not only Robbie and the Tallis' turn to chaos because of the incident but the chaos in all of Europe. I was already sad from the first section of this book but the second section only makes Robbie's story sadder. Robbie's encounter with the disembodied leg may be a hint to the fact that Briony is the author because it resembles so closely her experience on the night of the incident seeing her own mothers leg. Just the way McEwan writes this part shows so well the confusion and harsh realities of war. Even though Robbie is obviously more capable than his two companions he cannot rise among the ranks and he has to struggle to get his friends to Dunkirk and stay alive for Cecilia when everything is crumbling around him.
The horror, the horror! Always my automatic response whenever I see horror in a book with war in it. This part was a complete 180 flip from the beginning and definitely a welcome one. War, blood, and guts are always fun to read about especially if it’s done well. The leg in the tree was definitely jarring to read, especially since its introduction seemed so abrupt, and frank completely unlike his round-about way of describing and talking about things in part one. However, I find the frankness fitting and feels true to the simple barbarity of war. There is no elegance in describing the gore of a severed leg during war time. It simply is a leg and that alone should be horrible enough.
It is very discouraging seeing Robbie in the war. Not only is he accused and arrested falsely for raping Lola. Prison is a terrible place for him, and his only escape is joining the military. Even though he might have joined even if he wasn’t convicted, war is better than prison for him. I thought it was weird that Cecilia pretty much abandoned her family for what they did to Robbie, but it did not seem like she did much to help him either. Also knowing the ending to the book makes this whole scenario that much worse. The letters and the plans to meet each other (actually, not sure if they actually planned to meet each other for real, I think so) feel like a tragedy now.
I’m typically not a big fan of army/soldier stories, and unfortunately, this was no exception. I appreciate that we’re seeing from Robbie’s point of view, but it isn’t particularly interesting for me in this context. There were, however, several passages that I did enjoy.
The opening line; “there were horrors enough, but it was the unexpected detail that threw him and afterward would not let him go,” (179) gives powerful insight into Robbie’s psyche. War, as a general event, is more easily dealt with than individual scenes. Dead bodies have become a commonplace sight, a leg in a tree, an arm in the road. But when Robbie sees the remnant scraps of a child’s pajamas, he unintentionally develops an emotional tie to the collateral damage of war, civilian deaths. It was a haunting image for me as well, the “French boy asleep in his bed,” (182) unaware that he wouldn’t wake up the next morning. It’s psychologically disturbing. Although Robbie insists that his only interest is survival, I don’t buy it. As much as he doesn’t want to, he does care.
My favorite passage in this section was actually at the very end, when Robbie’s intense thirst conjures a childhood memory; “He would put his face in that blue and drink deeply. This thought pit him in mind of childhood fevers, their wild and frightening logic, the search for the cool corner of the pillow, and his mother’s hand upon his brow. Dear Grace,” (212). This passage is not only beautifully written (in my opinion) but touching and, in a way, relatable. Whenever Grace is brought into the picture, I think of her watching her innocent son be taken away forever. The separation, mother from son, was tragic and premature.
The book is finally starting to pick up. You can see a switch in his writing style in comparison with the part one. For starters, more is happening than just a broken vase. Robbie is definitely my favorite character. He is the most down to earth and relatable. I actually found Briony to be relatable too, but in a different way. You can tell that she has a lot of internal struggles, debates, and doubts flying around her noggin. I do love McEwan's descriptions, but I definitely prefer them in this war setting. He successfully expresses war as a tragedy and a waste instead of one large action sequence which can be easier said than done.
This part of the book follows Robbie, this part gives incite into what he's going through. We also get his opinion on what happened the night he was accused. What we understand is that he thinks Briony did it as a personal threat to him. In some ways it is, but really she just made a mistake with major consequences. We also get an account of him in the war. Why he has people following him, a person of lower rank, and he sees the horrors around him. When we get the scene when they're in the fields with the civilians running from the bombs you see that he puts his own safety after the safety of the mother and child. However when they deny his help he doesn't keep trying. This runs parallel I believe with Briony jumping into the water to see if he'd save her. When he does and then sees why she did he gets angry and reprimands her. Even though she was just being a kid. He never tries to mend what happened because he doesn't feel its necessary. He doesn't see what he did wrong. He only sees what the other person does wrong
19 comments:
Part Two starts off with Robbie Turner, navigating two privates through the countryside of World War II France. The readers soon discover that Robbie has been injured, and has a shrapnel in his side. Currently, Robbie is teamed up with two other English corporals, Mace and Nettle. The three men are traveling towards the north of France to the town of Dunkirk, where they can catch a Naval ship back to England. The first thing that I noticed in Part Two, was the fact that one of the corporals was named Nettles. Where have we heard this name before? In Chapter 7, the reader witnesses Briony slashing away at ‘nettles.’ As we, the readers, later discover, it is Robbie Turner’s sidekick, Nettles – during the odyssey back to Dunkirk – who provides the older version of Briony with the necessary information she needs to atone. The other immediate thing that I noticed in the reading of Part Two, was how McEwan changes his tone throughout the pages. While Part One, took place in the summer, McEwan tagged the necessary images that you would typically find in the summer. He used bright descriptions and distinct smells of vegetation. However, as the readers enter Part Two, all that changes. McEwan sets up the second installment of his novel like it is a war–memoir. There are dark images and gory scenes that contrast Part One’s features. “There were horrors enough, but it was the unexpected detail that threw him and afterward would not let him go.” (Page 179). But overall, it is the entire section of Part Two that is entirely devoted to Robbie.
For me, I was just blown away at the immediate change of scenery from country–home traditional novel style to a more historical approach. In a way, I felt like Part One – compared to Part Two – was more of a fantasy or a fairytale. Part One, was more mystical and mysterious. The scenes felt like they were unreal, yet at the same time, it was also believable. However, when you enter Part Two, you are instantly thrown into reality. Part Two feels more real because of the darkness and depth Robbie witnesses with his comrades. For instance, when Robbie, Nettle and Mace are walking towards Dunkirk, they come across an exodus of villagers with some other regiment British soldiers. But at one point, Robbie loses his cool and tries to throw a man from out of his truck, only to be reminded by Mace that they are not the enemy. “As he did so the diver leaned on his horn. The shrill Klaxon startled Turner into a sudden fury. Enough! He leap back to the diver’s door and wrenched it open. . . . Without releasing his grip, Corporal Mace pulled him away.” (Page 204). In this sense too, Robbie is drained and tired. He doesn’t know how much longer he can take, only that he must last until he sees Cecilia again. But this moment when Robbie suddenly snaps, shows how much Robbie has changed. Briony had taken Robbie out of his fantasy world and placed him in a world full of war and death. This is the new reality Robbie has to face, and it’s making him more and more unstable.
This section was heartbreaking to read. I really loved the way that Cecilia and Robbie communicate through their letters, regardless of their circumstances: “Robbie and Cecilia had been making love for years—by post,” (p. 193). Seeing each other after such a long time talking only through text caused both of them to question the strength of their relationship. Although I’m furious at Briony for acting so rashly, I can’t quite bring myself to hate her. I guess it’s her age that makes me want to treat her less harshly. And I’m sure she’ll feel the weight and consequences of her actions later on.
Although the lengthy descriptions in Part 1 didn’t bother me too much, I think that this section of the reading was very tedious and hard to get through. And of course, it was pretty depressing as well. I also think that until we got to the first page break, this reading had no connection to Part 1 at all. Cecelia was hardly mentioned, and Robbie didn’t seem to have the same personality. He was just…different. He reminded me of Billy Pilgrim in a lot of ways; he seemed too sensitive to function on the battlefield, and the two other men that he stuck with sort of ganged up on him; I didn’t like them very much, although it was kind of nice when they were burying that boy.
However, I thought the letters between Cecelia and Robbie were sweet and romantic. They seemed to be a typical couple trying to survive a long-distance relationship, and the way they ended their letters was maybe a little cliché, but it was cute and provided a sense of hope amidst all the descriptions of war. I thought it was really cute how they wrote in code while they were in jail, and how both of them got through their days by thinking about the future they would have together.
The only thing that really bothered me about this chapter was Cecelia’s anger towards her family. I know I said in the last section that I sympathized with her because her privacy was sort of being invaded, but I think her reaction was extreme. I mean, of course little siblings can do things that can not just drive you crazy but actually ruin your life…but at the same time, doesn’t family come before relationships? Just a though.
Unlike in part one i felt these pages were tedious and hard to finish, it felt like i was reading an entirely different book. Robbie is now referred to as Turner and is guiding two other soldiers through France.
I'm not really sure what to think of the now ruff and tumble corporal Robbie Turner. I like how he is a much more thoughtful person, i can really tell that he is older and his tone is more dark and sullen. Having gone through so much and given up his dreams of a future. He is obviously in bad shape and refuses to tell anyone about his wound. Which is sad.
His relationship with Cecilia is solely through letters. They linger and obsess over those few minutes in the library. When they finally do meet it's awkward, "They understood how far they had run ahead of themselves in their letters. This moment had been imagined and desired for too long, and could not measure up." (193) After not seeing each other for three years i don't find it very realistic that they are truly still in love. It seems that Robbie really does love her because he goes through the war persistent on staying alive for her, and he tries so hard to set up a time to see her again; but Cecilia doesn't seem to be willing to give much up on behalf of Robbie. Which is disappointing. I liked that Robbie wanted Cecilia to have a better relationship with her family and not hate them on his behalf. In Cecilia's response to Robbie's concern, she reveals that Briony had written a letter saying she wanted to meet and make things right. Although Cecilia is skeptical saying, "I don't want us to get our hopes up for nothing. She might not mean what i think she does, or she might not be prepared to see it through. Remember what a dreamer she is." (199) At least Briony is trying to do something to make things right.
In this chapter Robbie changes character. He goes from Robbie, son of Grace and a family friend of the Tallis. As Robbie he had dreams and aspirations. He was going to become a doctor but once Briony accused him everything changed. As Turner, his only goal is to survive and get back to Cecilia.
Reading about his ingury it makes it seem so much worse than how it is in the movie. On one page his thoughts go to how with his every step he could feel the shrapnel moving in his body. I felt so much pity for him in this chapter but laughed in the awkward meeting between him and Cecilia. Their relationship is still there but since they had spoken to each other by letter they couldn't seem to speak when face to face. It was cute and funny.
Right as Part 2 begins there is something fundamentally different in the writing. There is no more summer, no illusion of endless time, nor eternal calmness that was present in the beginning of part one. this section of Part 2 felt rather emotionless and lonely. I also didn't realize until several pages in that Robbie is no more. He is only referred to as "Turner" which really makes a difference. Robbie was a child who worked in the garden, but Turner is just another man fighting for England. Because he is only referred as Turner I felt alienated. That is to say I knew it was Robbie but it felt like I was listening about a completely separate person, which is almost true because at this point we are so far from the start of this story. Certain parts the writing evoke the monotonous part of walking perfectly. And yet it wasn't just walking, it was walking with the knowledge of war lingering in the background. An example of this is on page 203, "The road led directly north, toward a black cloud of burning oil that stood above the horizon, marking out Dunkirk. No need for a compass now. Dotted along the way were disabled military vehicles. Nothing was to be left for enemy use. From the backs of receding lorries the conscious wounded stared out blankly." This description is just so bleak. This section reeks of bleakness. Bleakness and exhaustion. From the description of the barn they slept in as being full of bullet holes, to his memories of him and Cecilia writing; everything was so melancholy. Especially the memories. Memories in a time of war always seem to have some sort of desperation and hopelessness to them. What was most depressing about the letters was that they became so invested in writing them that they had forgotten how to communicate face to face. I wish they would just do away with the pleasantries and just be frank. That is probably the most frustrating thing about this story. The lack of proper communication.
This section totally changes the focus of the novel. Suddenly we are in France, years later, with no idea of the time in between. Since I've been urging to punch Briony for most of the last 179 pages, I am glad to take a break from her fictional world. But since I know that this story is Briony's, I am never quite free from her presence.
This part of the book seemed needlessly romanticized. I feel that McEwan included every war cliche he could. 3 men are separated from their unit. They find an unlikely leader in a wrongly accused convict. As they endlessly walk to their destination, their leader's only thoughts are about the girl he left behind, the girl who gave up everything for him, the girl who will always wait for them. The men stay in a French barn where the locals give them bread, cheese, and wine. I've already heard this story.
Cecelia's letter did answer some of my questions about what happened to Briony. She sees straight to Briony's motivations. Briony is punishing herself for her crime, not motivated to join the war effort. But mostly that letter describes the little things in Cecelia's life and reminds us of the trials of the minor characters, like the twins.
The beginning of the reading follows a soldier in France that we are not able to name until a couple of pages in. It turns out that it is Robbie now know as Turner which is a more adult name. I really liked the fact that we didn’t know who this person is for the beginning because it made it very confusing and almost stressful, just like war.
Robbie keeps on saying that the only reason that he is still alive is because Cecilia is waiting for him. He keeps in touch with her through their numerous letters which he keeps with him at all times. We also find out that C
ecilia is not talking to her family at all. She is mad at them for not standing up for Robbie and she doesn’t plan on forgiving them. I really like when Robbie realizes that Cecilia has to make amends with her parents before one of them die. This is really cool of Robbie/Turner because it shows that he really wants Cecilia to be happy and not suffer for his sake.
In this section, we see what effect Briony's decision really has. If going to jail wasn't bad, he ends up in France fighting the Nazis. Or more correctly, running away from the Nazis. This is sad because on the path he was on, he would have become a doctor, and would have been partially immune from being drafted. He needlessly looses his life because of a lie. Its really frustrating.
The author does a good job of portraying the misconceptions that Briony would have while writing about war. He puts in little falicies, which he points out at the end up the book, but it creates an interesting atmosphere for the reader. It almost feels like the book is being written right in front of you.
Robbie, is thrust into a horrifying new world, war. It was “ so different from anything [he] had seen” (183). Although he was not in jail he was imprisoned, his hope of returning was fading, “he wouldn’t last” (191). The only thing that gives him hope is a letter he receives from Cecilia stating, “I’ll wait for you. Come back” (190), something Cecilia would tell Briony when Briony was deep in thought, lost in her imagination. When Cecilia says “come back,” it could be directed towards Briony, who is telling her self through her own novel, to regret all her childish daydreaming that changed the corse of Robbie and Cecilia’s lives. If Robbie was “back,” with Cecilia and was never sent to prison, Briony would have never committed her crime. Every time Cecilia says, “come back,” Briony is reminded of her crime and how it effected her loved ones.
I found the majority of part 2 hard to read. The one part that really pulled me in, though, was when he thought about Cecilia. Their letters were so personal and sweet. He even says that Cecilia was his "reason to survive." I love how Briony wrote their love story. As opposed to the unfinished business and loose ends that Robbie's arrest provided the lovers with, Briony gave them a way to at least keep in contact. We don't know - and neither does Briony - if that is what actually happened. Another thing I really enjoyed was how Briony inserted herself into Cecilia's letters. She's finally old enough to understand how awful her crime was, but she still gives herself a small glint of hope from Cecilia ("I'm actually very excited about this news from my sister and what it could mean for us." [pg. 200])
This section is a complete turn around from the previous section. The reader moves to the war in France an unknown period of time later. The character of Robbie, or Turner, as he is now known is also very different. In the first section I imagined Robbie as a pretty innocent and inexperienced teenager, who had dreams for the future, but had not really accomplished anything yet. In this section he seems to have matured many years. He is now known by his last name and leads his group of soldiers even though he is the lowest in rank. I actually started to feel kind of bad for Turner. He has to go through so much hardship all for something he did not do, and no one believes that he didn’t do it only because he is the son of a servant.
I really liked the part on page 186-7 where the French brothers describe a war scene with no fighting taking place in the writing. Instead McEwan just describes the aftermath very well with a lot of imagery and intensity.
To be honest I felt like part 2 was by far easier to read than part one.. I like how McEwan doesn't tell you whose view it is for a few pages, it makes you actually think about it, though I'm not really sure whose else it could have been. It seems like everyone has "grown" up when it comes to names, except for Cecilia. Briony becomes Tallis and Robbie becomes Turner. I think it was a good way to show how one event changed two people's lives so greatly that they became different people.
Even though this is not from Briony's view, I feel like... She's just there, watching over your shoulder making you read what she wants you to think. It makes me want to just smack her with a fly swatter. (Her writing about herself giving them some hope just pisses me off... It's all ME ME ME ME ME again....)
I feel really bad for Cecilia in this part of the book, not only has she "lost" the man she loves to the war, but she has also cut herself off from her family for him. Even though she makes the choice to not talk to her family, I feel like it would still be a hard thing for her. Having no one but the people she will meet and her letters to and from Robbie. Robbie's want for her to make amends with her parents, shows both his love for her and his ability to "forgive". Not necessarily for himself, but for her. She lives for Robbie though she knows she won't see him anytime in the near future (and as we know, ever). Their "breaks" not lining up also didn't help them at all. Cecilia promising, "I'm not going to go away, I'll wait for you" just makes the whole situation sadder.
This section was obviously a total flip from the first section showing not only Robbie and the Tallis' turn to chaos because of the incident but the chaos in all of Europe. I was already sad from the first section of this book but the second section only makes Robbie's story sadder. Robbie's encounter with the disembodied leg may be a hint to the fact that Briony is the author because it resembles so closely her experience on the night of the incident seeing her own mothers leg. Just the way McEwan writes this part shows so well the confusion and harsh realities of war. Even though Robbie is obviously more capable than his two companions he cannot rise among the ranks and he has to struggle to get his friends to Dunkirk and stay alive for Cecilia when everything is crumbling around him.
The horror, the horror! Always my automatic response whenever I see horror in a book with war in it. This part was a complete 180 flip from the beginning and definitely a welcome one. War, blood, and guts are always fun to read about especially if it’s done well. The leg in the tree was definitely jarring to read, especially since its introduction seemed so abrupt, and frank completely unlike his round-about way of describing and talking about things in part one. However, I find the frankness fitting and feels true to the simple barbarity of war. There is no elegance in describing the gore of a severed leg during war time. It simply is a leg and that alone should be horrible enough.
It is very discouraging seeing Robbie in the war. Not only is he accused and arrested falsely for raping Lola. Prison is a terrible place for him, and his only escape is joining the military. Even though he might have joined even if he wasn’t convicted, war is better than prison for him. I thought it was weird that Cecilia pretty much abandoned her family for what they did to Robbie, but it did not seem like she did much to help him either. Also knowing the ending to the book makes this whole scenario that much worse. The letters and the plans to meet each other (actually, not sure if they actually planned to meet each other for real, I think so) feel like a tragedy now.
I’m typically not a big fan of army/soldier stories, and unfortunately, this was no exception. I appreciate that we’re seeing from Robbie’s point of view, but it isn’t particularly interesting for me in this context. There were, however, several passages that I did enjoy.
The opening line; “there were horrors enough, but it was the unexpected detail that threw him and afterward would not let him go,” (179) gives powerful insight into Robbie’s psyche. War, as a general event, is more easily dealt with than individual scenes. Dead bodies have become a commonplace sight, a leg in a tree, an arm in the road. But when Robbie sees the remnant scraps of a child’s pajamas, he unintentionally develops an emotional tie to the collateral damage of war, civilian deaths. It was a haunting image for me as well, the “French boy asleep in his bed,” (182) unaware that he wouldn’t wake up the next morning. It’s psychologically disturbing. Although Robbie insists that his only interest is survival, I don’t buy it. As much as he doesn’t want to, he does care.
“I’ll wait for you,” written in letters from a lover is an admittedly cliché reason for living, but it works for Robbie. I really like the way Robbie’s memories of Cecilia are described; “They lay on the far side of a great divide in time, as significant as B.C. and A.D. Before prison, before the war, before the sight of a corpse became a banality” (213). This divide applies not only to Robbie’s memories, but also to his own being; “It seemed another man’s life to him now,” (204). While pieces of his prior ambitions remain (his recognition of poetic rhythm in his steps, his comparison between pictures in his medical textbooks and actual wounds), spending his future with Cecilia is really the only constant. Somehow, the doomed love survives.
My favorite passage in this section was actually at the very end, when Robbie’s intense thirst conjures a childhood memory; “He would put his face in that blue and drink deeply. This thought pit him in mind of childhood fevers, their wild and frightening logic, the search for the cool corner of the pillow, and his mother’s hand upon his brow. Dear Grace,” (212). This passage is not only beautifully written (in my opinion) but touching and, in a way, relatable. Whenever Grace is brought into the picture, I think of her watching her innocent son be taken away forever. The separation, mother from son, was tragic and premature.
The book is finally starting to pick up. You can see a switch in his writing style in comparison with the part one. For starters, more is happening than just a broken vase. Robbie is definitely my favorite character. He is the most down to earth and relatable. I actually found Briony to be relatable too, but in a different way. You can tell that she has a lot of internal struggles, debates, and doubts flying around her noggin.
I do love McEwan's descriptions, but I definitely prefer them in this war setting. He successfully expresses war as a tragedy and a waste instead of one large action sequence which can be easier said than done.
This part of the book follows Robbie, this part gives incite into what he's going through. We also get his opinion on what happened the night he was accused. What we understand is that he thinks Briony did it as a personal threat to him. In some ways it is, but really she just made a mistake with major consequences. We also get an account of him in the war. Why he has people following him, a person of lower rank, and he sees the horrors around him. When we get the scene when they're in the fields with the civilians running from the bombs you see that he puts his own safety after the safety of the mother and child. However when they deny his help he doesn't keep trying. This runs parallel I believe with Briony jumping into the water to see if he'd save her. When he does and then sees why she did he gets angry and reprimands her. Even though she was just being a kid. He never tries to mend what happened because he doesn't feel its necessary. He doesn't see what he did wrong. He only sees what the other person does wrong
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