Chapter 5
Summary
The chapter is from Paul Marshall's point of view, but it begins with Lola and the twins, Pierrot and Jackson wondering why Briony left in the middle of rehearsal and where she went. The boys were messing around playing with each other and Lola is thinking about her younger cousin. Then the twins start complaining about not liking it at the Tallis's home and wanting to go home and their parent's pending divorce. Lola becomes agitated with them and threatens them that she will tell on them if they say the word "divorce." Paul Marshall enters the nursery, clearly he had been listening for a while. He introduces himself and makes friends with the twins. He then tells them he read about their parents in the newspaper, but then Lola scolds him for mentioning it in front of her brothers, so he soothes them with kind words- telling them that their parents will be fine and not to listen to what others say.
Then Marshall thinks back to after his cocktails with Leon and Cecilia when he laid down in his room and had a dream wherein his four sisters were touching and pulling at his clothes. He woke up "uncomfortably aroused." (McEwan 57) He awoke to the kids voices in the nursery and went to go see what it was. He was surprised to find only two children and one beautiful, young woman. He compliments her trousers and shoes and converses with her about London, where she bought the clothes when she visited there and saw a play with her mother. Then one of the twins interrupts with complaints of hunger and Paul Marshall is able to brag about how he owns a chocolate factory that is going to supply chocolate bars to soldiers in the war. The twins criticize giving soldiers chocolate and making fun of the name, so Marshall won't give them any. He gives Lola a piece and watches her closely as she eats it, telling her she has to "bite it." (McEwan 59). Betty calls the boys and Lola sends them down leaving her alone with Marshall in the nursery.
Analysis
This chapter helps to characterize just who Paul Marshall is. It is essentially foreshadowing because it shows how much of a creep he is. What grown man goes into a nursery and flirts with a young girl? It is one of the first clues that Paul Marshall is the real rapist. Other clues included his "arousal" from a dream about his sisters. And his eyeballing Lola the entire time they are talking in the nursery. Lola's character is also shown to be receptive to Paul Marshall's subtle advances, which explains why she might have later married Marshall. Her motherly nature towards the boys is also very telling, as is her reaction towards her parents divorce- she is ashamed they are like that and even more ashamed that other people know about it.
The chapter also hints at the state the boys were in while at the Tallis house and they vocalize how unhappy they were, which is why they run away later that night. It also shows how all along they just wanted to do the play.
- Great summary. Keep the need for formality in mind in the analysis section ("Ew"), and again, there's a lot more you could do in terms of connecting this to the themes of the novel.
The chapter is from Paul Marshall's point of view, but it begins with Lola and the twins, Pierrot and Jackson wondering why Briony left in the middle of rehearsal and where she went. The boys were messing around playing with each other and Lola is thinking about her younger cousin. Then the twins start complaining about not liking it at the Tallis's home and wanting to go home and their parent's pending divorce. Lola becomes agitated with them and threatens them that she will tell on them if they say the word "divorce." Paul Marshall enters the nursery, clearly he had been listening for a while. He introduces himself and makes friends with the twins. He then tells them he read about their parents in the newspaper, but then Lola scolds him for mentioning it in front of her brothers, so he soothes them with kind words- telling them that their parents will be fine and not to listen to what others say.
Then Marshall thinks back to after his cocktails with Leon and Cecilia when he laid down in his room and had a dream wherein his four sisters were touching and pulling at his clothes. He woke up "uncomfortably aroused." (McEwan 57) He awoke to the kids voices in the nursery and went to go see what it was. He was surprised to find only two children and one beautiful, young woman. He compliments her trousers and shoes and converses with her about London, where she bought the clothes when she visited there and saw a play with her mother. Then one of the twins interrupts with complaints of hunger and Paul Marshall is able to brag about how he owns a chocolate factory that is going to supply chocolate bars to soldiers in the war. The twins criticize giving soldiers chocolate and making fun of the name, so Marshall won't give them any. He gives Lola a piece and watches her closely as she eats it, telling her she has to "bite it." (McEwan 59). Betty calls the boys and Lola sends them down leaving her alone with Marshall in the nursery.
Analysis
This chapter helps to characterize just who Paul Marshall is. It is essentially foreshadowing because it shows how much of a creep he is. What grown man goes into a nursery and flirts with a young girl? It is one of the first clues that Paul Marshall is the real rapist. Other clues included his "arousal" from a dream about his sisters. And his eyeballing Lola the entire time they are talking in the nursery. Lola's character is also shown to be receptive to Paul Marshall's subtle advances, which explains why she might have later married Marshall. Her motherly nature towards the boys is also very telling, as is her reaction towards her parents divorce- she is ashamed they are like that and even more ashamed that other people know about it.
The chapter also hints at the state the boys were in while at the Tallis house and they vocalize how unhappy they were, which is why they run away later that night. It also shows how all along they just wanted to do the play.
- Great summary. Keep the need for formality in mind in the analysis section ("Ew"), and again, there's a lot more you could do in terms of connecting this to the themes of the novel.