Chapter 6
Summary
The chapter is from Emily Tallis's point of view; it is all internal thoughts from her- no dialogue. Emily Tallis goes to her room and lays down after the house has had lunch. She feels a migraine is coming and laying in the dark not doing anything to worry or stress helps stave off the pain. Lying in bed, she first thinks of her only son, Leon, who is unmarried and without a career, having refused an offer to work with his father. She then thinks of her eldest daughter Cecilia, who recently returned from Cambridge where she earned a "degree." Mrs. Tallis is upset because she didn't come back with a husband- because we all know that's what girls really go to college for. She does not understand Cecilia's life choices. She begins to think about her youngest, Briony (who she seems to be most fond of) after she feels a migraine start to come on while thinking so much about Cecilia. She is sad that she couldn't be of more help to her play and feels bad that is isn't going well. The chapter begins to describe how she has "tentacles" that extend into every room of the house and can see and know everything that happens, a "sixth sense." (McEwan, 63) She can, for example, sense that Briony has run out to the yard out of frustration and she wants nothing more than to be able to go and hug her child. She describes how fretting so much about her family "had rubber her senses raw." (McEwan, 63) Her migraines confine her to her bed often and she wishes could get up and intervene when she is needed, but she says "the less she was able to do, the more she was aware." (McEwan 63) Emily naps through the afternoon.The tentacles and her hearing also alert her that Leon's friend, Paul Marshall talking to the twins and Lola. She worries a little about Leon not yet having a wife, much like how Briony did in the first chapter. Mrs. Tallis then begins to think about all the things that must be done before the evening meal. She needs to change the menu and find Briony and talk to Cecilia and check on the twins... She lays down for a while longer before getting up to start on her list.
Analysis
Cleary, Mrs. Tallis thinks often of her children and wants what she believes is best for them, but there seems to be a lack of connection between her and her kids. This is partly explained by her frequent migraines and it could be because she can't do much with one setting in, so she isn't a firm presence in the house anymore. She seems to favorite Briony but I believe that is because Briony is young and hasn't had a chance to mess up or disappoint her mother yet like Cecilia and Leon.
Briony has deeper thoughts than her mother, though it seems she inherits her controlling personality from Emily. The imagery of the tentacles seeping through the house, seeing everything, support this. Mrs. Tallis has to have her finger on everything that happens in the house, further shown when she makes a list of all the things she has to tell people to do. Briony and her mother are alike in this way.
One can also see Mrs. Tallis thoughts on the help: they are lesser than her. This is apparent when she thinks of the cook and the woman watching over the twins. She definitely doesn't see them on the same level as she is. This comes up in a later chapter when she thinks about Robbie, who is also the help.
- Nice work on the character of Emily Tallis as revealed in the chapter. You might step back a little and discuss the implications of this characterization for how we see Briony as a character, since she is the one writing this. Otherwise, great, and nice summary, as well.
The chapter is from Emily Tallis's point of view; it is all internal thoughts from her- no dialogue. Emily Tallis goes to her room and lays down after the house has had lunch. She feels a migraine is coming and laying in the dark not doing anything to worry or stress helps stave off the pain. Lying in bed, she first thinks of her only son, Leon, who is unmarried and without a career, having refused an offer to work with his father. She then thinks of her eldest daughter Cecilia, who recently returned from Cambridge where she earned a "degree." Mrs. Tallis is upset because she didn't come back with a husband- because we all know that's what girls really go to college for. She does not understand Cecilia's life choices. She begins to think about her youngest, Briony (who she seems to be most fond of) after she feels a migraine start to come on while thinking so much about Cecilia. She is sad that she couldn't be of more help to her play and feels bad that is isn't going well. The chapter begins to describe how she has "tentacles" that extend into every room of the house and can see and know everything that happens, a "sixth sense." (McEwan, 63) She can, for example, sense that Briony has run out to the yard out of frustration and she wants nothing more than to be able to go and hug her child. She describes how fretting so much about her family "had rubber her senses raw." (McEwan, 63) Her migraines confine her to her bed often and she wishes could get up and intervene when she is needed, but she says "the less she was able to do, the more she was aware." (McEwan 63) Emily naps through the afternoon.The tentacles and her hearing also alert her that Leon's friend, Paul Marshall talking to the twins and Lola. She worries a little about Leon not yet having a wife, much like how Briony did in the first chapter. Mrs. Tallis then begins to think about all the things that must be done before the evening meal. She needs to change the menu and find Briony and talk to Cecilia and check on the twins... She lays down for a while longer before getting up to start on her list.
Analysis
Cleary, Mrs. Tallis thinks often of her children and wants what she believes is best for them, but there seems to be a lack of connection between her and her kids. This is partly explained by her frequent migraines and it could be because she can't do much with one setting in, so she isn't a firm presence in the house anymore. She seems to favorite Briony but I believe that is because Briony is young and hasn't had a chance to mess up or disappoint her mother yet like Cecilia and Leon.
Briony has deeper thoughts than her mother, though it seems she inherits her controlling personality from Emily. The imagery of the tentacles seeping through the house, seeing everything, support this. Mrs. Tallis has to have her finger on everything that happens in the house, further shown when she makes a list of all the things she has to tell people to do. Briony and her mother are alike in this way.
One can also see Mrs. Tallis thoughts on the help: they are lesser than her. This is apparent when she thinks of the cook and the woman watching over the twins. She definitely doesn't see them on the same level as she is. This comes up in a later chapter when she thinks about Robbie, who is also the help.
- Nice work on the character of Emily Tallis as revealed in the chapter. You might step back a little and discuss the implications of this characterization for how we see Briony as a character, since she is the one writing this. Otherwise, great, and nice summary, as well.
