Atonement Trauma Postmodernism Cathy Chris Daphne Edison Janine

Atonement: Trauma & Post-modernism Cathy Chris Daphne Edison Janine Joby Joe Tony

Content I. III. IV. V. VII. Introduction Trauma, History vs. Reality Ideology Post-Modern Interpretation Cinematography Conclusion Works Cited

Introduction Janine

What is “trauma”? • “…psychic trauma occurs when a sudden, unexpected, overwhelming intense emotional blow or a series of blow assaults the person from outside. Traumatic events are external, but they quickly become incorporated into the mind. ” (261)

trauma • Physical trauma: any body wound or shock produced by sudden injury or severe impact e. g. accident • Psychological trauma: a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event e. g. stress disorder

What is “postmodernism”? • “It [postmodernism] was first used among literary critics as a definition for experimental fictional writing which came after modernism [that] signals unsteadily not a consensus of opinion with a discernible object of study, but, instead, a range of debates that are far from in agreement with one another. ” (177)

postmodernism • Cultural projects or a set of perspectives e. g. personal responses • A reaction to modernism Associated with: - difference - separation - textuality - skepticism

Trauma, History vs. Reality Tony, Cathy, Chris

Trauma Tony

Traumatic Incidents • Briony’s false accusation of Robbie raping her cousin, Lola. – Both Cecilia and Robbie are helpless because of social class differences. • The War

Briony Tallis • • Not married Unchanging hairstyle Need for confession/atonement (writing the book) The confrontation scene between that she wrote in her book shows her wish to receive some kind of punishment • Need for confession also echoed in the scene with the dying solider. (example of both the false accusation and WWII)

Cecilia Tallis • Being alone after Briony’s false accusation – Loss of her love – Cutting off all contact with her family • Not being protected – From higher level of living to lower apartment – Died in the underground

Robbie Turner • Physical – Kept in jail with freedom – Physical exhaustion during the war • Psychological – Remain lower social class identity (servant prisoner solider)

History vs. Reality Cathy & Chris

History vs. Reality The fractured pieces of history in movie The whole WWII in reality

The Blitz in Atonement • Cecilia killed at the bombing of the Balham tube station. (1: 50: 42 -1: 50) • A well-known disastrous incident of The Blitz. • Date: 1940/10/15 • Result: the bombing destroyed the water system to breakdown and drowned the Balham tube station

The Blitz in reality The Blitz the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 1940/9/7 and 1941/5/10, in WWII Began the bombing of London for 57 consecutive night Heaviest attack by 400 bombers and lasting six hours - hit London Result over 43, 000 civilians were killed by bombing

The Balham tube station in reality Balham tube station one of many deep tube stations designated for use as a civilian air raid shelter Time At 20: 02 on 14 October 1940 Cause a 1400 kg bomb fell on the road above the northern end of the platform tunnels What happened northbound platform tunnel southbound platform tunnel within 100 yards of Clapham South Result sixty-four civilians were killed

Dunkirk Evacuation in Atonement • Robbie arrived at the beach (1: 05: 1025) • Scene of brutality – School girls – Horses (1: 06: 15 -1: 06: 25)

Dunkirk Evacuation in Atonement • Scene of surreal quality – The singing in the bar at Dunkirk appear to be dream-like (1: 10: 30 -) – His meeting with his mother (1: 12: 20 -1: 13: 53) • Robbie died in the last day of evacuation 1 June 1940

Dunkirk Evacuation in Reality • Mission: Evacuation of Allied soldiers • Time: Between 26 May and 4 June 1940 (six times) • Miracle of Deliverance • Cause: German break through to the channel Ports getting the upper hand • Result: General Gort ordered to retreat to the near-by port of Dunkirk save the British Army to fight another day

Ideology Daphne

Ideology • Social ideology: love as an ideal – Between Cecilia and Robbie

Ideology • Form (narrative frame): text as truth

Ideology • Authorial ideology: Power of forgiveness vs. Power of art – “The text, rather, is a certain production of ideology, for which the analogy of dramatic production…. it ‘produces’ the text, transforming it into a unique and irreducible entity” (128)

Postmodern interpretation Edison

Simply put…… The concept of Postmodernism applied in the movie analysis is to reveal the things against a viewer’s expectation of traditional concept/ ideology that the movie would involve: There is no absolute truth / interpretation

Anti-heroine angel-like face, energetic, clever, creative sentimental, spoiled, jealous, insecure Middle-aged face, Always in uniform or cloak quiet, emotionless, gloomy, preoccupied Wrinkled face, white hair, weak sorrowful, regretful, lonely

Anti-heroine 1. Her hair style remains the same & the mole on her face never ceases 2. She never grows up, but she has only getting old

Miscarriage of Justice It’s not worthy: 1. Robbie does not deserve the punishment. 2. The letter is only a mistake: only a joke. It’s injustice: 1. Briony’s lie makes Robbie and Ceci suffer. 2. The slander is never clarified. 3. Marriage btw the real villain (Marshal) & Laura 4. The villain makes a lot of money during the war None should be punished because It’s just a joke! he tells a joke!!! Powerless to recover: 1. Evidence can not be raised. 2. The power of war is overwhelming.

Anti-romance The romance turns out to be a irreversible tragedy.

Briony’s confession as Deconstruction If Briony had not confessed, the movie would have nothing to do with postmodernism. Thus, if Briony hadn’t confessed, there would only be one interpretation of the text. In other words, viewers would just accept the happy ending without knowing the truth: death of Robbie and Cecilia / marriage of Marshal and Laura. The interpretation of “Atonement” should’ve been limited.

Interpretation of “Atonement” Atonement achieved: The power of art (novel) Atonement unachieved: Trauma is ever-lasting

Frame Narrative • Author as God – Briony: “how can a novelist achieve atonement when, with her absolute power of deciding outcomes, she is also God? There is no one, no entity or higher form that she can appeal to, or be reconciled with, or that can forgive her. No atonement for God, or novelists. . . ”

cinematography Joby, Joe

Recall of Briony – School Girl Scene • Robbie showing his sympathy to dead girls Does he also show his forgiveness to Briony? * Briony’s perspective as an author/writer.

“Hands” • • Touching water Holding the debris of vase Holding hands together at the dinner table Cecilia’s longing for Robbie – Touching Robbie’s hand at the restaurant – Robbie’s retreat • Uncertainty about future

Robbie’s typing/ Mirror Scene • Light Effect – Soft, dreamy – A way of showing Cecilia as Robbie’s longing for her love. – Vague, blurry image of Cecilia unreachable lover – Unspeakable love for Cecilia through typewriter.

Dunkirk Evacuation • A long take scene of war – The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and 4 June 1940, when British, French, Canadian, and Belgian troops were cut off by the German army during the Battle of Dunkirk in the Second World War. – Style of Joe Wright [ Several long takes in the film] – Shows in detail and in whole of the disastrous scene of war – Robbie’s vain search for water • Foreshadowing Robbie’s loss of life/ vain search for Cecilia http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=5 h. XMNh. ML 0 Ug

Theatre Scene • Robbie’s search for water • Hand held camera = unsteady shooting - reflects Robbie’s physical and mental condition - hints that Robbie is barely hanging on • Tilted camera – psychological condition of the character • Overwhelmed and overweighed by thoughts of Cecilia => loses his sanity and dies

Rewinding Scene • The night Robbie dies: scene rewinds back to broken vase piece falling into the water. - Robbie and Cecilia could resume their story • • If time could rewind to mend from the beginning. When Robbie dies, they resume. • *Briony created rewinding scene?

conclusion Janine

Works cited • • • http: //www. eyewitnesstohistory. com/dunkirk. htm http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation http: //www. squidoo. com/lancastria http: //schoolshistory. org. uk/dunkirk. htm http: //www. dover-kent. co. uk/history/ww 2 b_dunkirk. htm http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=5 h. XMNh. ML 0 Ug http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Physical_trauma http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Psychological_trauma http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Postmodernism http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Postmodernity