Examples Of Robbie Turner In Atonement

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In How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster, Foster begins his book by telling the audience how essentially all characters are on a quest throughout the course of a novel. This perpetual quest characters go on can be broken down into five parts: Quester, Place, Stated Reason, Challenges, and Real Reason. The novel Atonement by Ian McEwan is no different. Atonement is a novel that takes place in England and France, pre-WWI and peri-WWI. This is essential to the novel as it serves to be a large challenge for one of our questers, Robbie Turner.
Robbie Turner is a character in Atonement that goes on a quest for freedom and love. He has grown up in the northern countryside of London, England under the guardianship of his mother. …show more content…

These thoughts of Robbie did not pay him kindly when Robbie Turner is accused of assault on the Tallis’ cousin and is forced to face one of the biggest decisions of his life: go into the army or go to jail. The reason that Robbie was forced with this decision is because the younger Tallis daughter, Briony, believed to have seen Robbie initiate this attack on her cousin. Briony had seen earlier Robbie “attack” Cecilia and had read and misinterpreted a letter which voiced explicit thoughts that Robbie had about her sister, Cecilia. This is just the start of Robbie’s hardships. Whilst in the army he continues to nurse his lovesick heart for Cecilia Tallis. Prior to the conviction Robbie and Cecilia admit their feelings for one another and soon after the Robbie’s supposed “assault” ensues. During his time in the Army he is allowed to see Cecilia but it not long enough to satiate Robbie’s everlasting hurt. Robbie and Cecilia have future plans of going away to live in a cottage and restart their lives once Robbie is relieved of his position in the English Army. Robbie thinks quite frequently of Cecilia and says that she is the only one who can keep him sane. He believes her to be his saving grace, the light at the end of the tunnel. He responds to one of Cecilia’s letters that read: “‘You are

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