Important+Relationship+in+'Atonement'

Character Relationships
 * __ Robbie __**

Robbie is the second most important character in the novel after Briony. In Part 1 Robbie is a confident young man, fresh from studying English at Cambridge and with his whole life spread out in front of him. Because he enjoys the patronage of Jack Tallis, he has the luxury of being able to change his mind about his future career, and he uses this luxury freely. After a degree in English, he first plans a career in landscape gardening and then turns to medicine which requires expensive retraining. The range of opportunities available to him emphasises how much is lost in the closing off of his life and in his early death. His talent and determination to work hard are unquestioned. Robbie is decisive and active, attributes that are demonstrated in the way he writes to Cecilia when he recognises his feelings for her. These qualities stand him in good stead in France, where decisive action and determination to take charge of his own destiny are essential to survival.

In Parts Two and Three, Robbie is shown as a mature man. Though sobered and made more cynical by his experiences in prison and in the army, he is fundamentally as honourable, generous, compassionate, and fair a person as ever. The anger that could have poisoned his character is focussed on Briony.

The main focus of Robbie’s character is his love for Cecilia and his determination to survive for her sake. //“She was his reason for life, and why he must survive” (p.209)//

Her love and his hope for a future with her sustain him through prison and in France. It is a powerfully felt and passionate love as well as a deep romantic love. The intensity of feeling conveyed during their love scene in the library is sufficient to convince readers of his love and desire for her enduring through the ensuing events.


 * __ Cecilia __**

Cecilia has finished her degree at Girton College, Cambridge, and spent the summer at the family house, but it frustrated at her inactivity. She had expected everyone would be pleased to see her and keen to involve her in things, but in reality the time has been empty. Cecilia is bored and also feels unappreciated. She can not stand up to her father and is in awe of the freedom Leon seems to have. Her mother does not seem to value her intellect. Cecilia is primarily a product of the low regard in which girls were sometimes held at this point in time.

At the start of the novel, Cecilia is also something of a snob. She assumes that it is social difference, and his desire to highlight it, that led Robbie to remove his shoes and socks before entering her house earlier in the week. We learn later from Robbie that it was out of concern for Polly who was cleaning the floor, and because he feared his feet were smelly. Consideration not social awkwardness, motivated his gesture. Robbie’s revelation reduces Cecilia in our eyes making her look somewhat ignorant.

Cecilia also infers that Robbie is conscious of his social inferiority and believes that he is punishing //her “for being in a different circle at Cambridge, for not having a charlady for a mother” (p.27)//

In Cecilia’s liking for dramatic gesture we see here family resemblance to Briony. Cecilia is greatly concerned about how she appears to others. It is Cecilia’s determination to project an image of herself that leads to the accident with the vase. She wants to appear strong and independent in front of Robbie.

On the night of the crisis Cecilia adopts a dramatic, tragic pose, playing the injured lover. She sets herself apart from her family, chain smoking and wringing a handkerchief. She stares at her family //“unable to believe her association with such people” (p.179)// The Cecilia of Part Three bears little resemblance to the awkward, slightly snobbish and self-important young woman of Part One. She has of course grown up. She has suffered – by being separated from Robbie, alienated from her parents, despising her once-loved sister and living the hard life of a nurse, which is now made harder by the influx of terribly wounded soldiers.

Cecilia is still passionately in love with Robbie despite being separated for the last three years while Robbie was in prison. They meet only briefly before he is sent off to war. Cecilia is fierce in her love for, and defence of Robbie. Her devotion to him and certainty of his innocence has led to her isolation. Separated from her family, its wealth and her comfortable lifestyle, she has an air of heroic solitude about her. Her anger at Briony is fully justified, yet she remains calm enough to soothe Robbie when he is in danger of losing his temper and hitting Briony. She repeatedly tells //him “I love you. Come back to me”.// These are also the words she gave Robbie to see him through the war. Readers are led to wonder however how realistic this depiction of Cecilia’s character is. In part 3 Briony has to conjure her up, imagining how she would be, given her earlier personality and the likely effects that events will have had on her.


 * __ Robbie and Cecilia’s Relationship __**

This relationship is largely important as it helps to highlight a number of issues within the novel. Firstly it raises the question of social status and the difficulties faced by those couples who came from different sections of society. In truth, had it not been for the rape charge Robbie and Cecilia would have faced other difficulties. Emily Tallis would certainly never have approved or accepted their relationship. Despite Robbie’s educational ability and achievements she only ever saw him as //“Jacks little hobby”// and resented his presence. She saw Robbie as overstepping the boundaries created by his status.

Robbie and Cecilia’s relationship also emphasises the theme of the power of true love. Their passion and determination to be together shows how love can triumph over any obstacle. To be together Robbie and Cecilia have to overcome not only social prejudice but his rape charge and separation due to the war. Even though we learn they do not live happily ever after their love is immortalised in Briony’s novel. They are together even in death.