Chapter 8
Summary
Chapter eight is written from Robbie Turner’s point of view. It begins with Robbie sitting in his bathtub fantasizing about the image of Cecilia he had seen that afternoon- her standing soaking wet in her underwear before him. He notices that his feelings for Cecilia are now changing. He had known her his whole life but he had never looked at her.
Robbie debated if he should or shouldn’t accept Leon’s invitation to dinner. He knew that Cecilia was angry with him and would be angrier if she found out that he was one of the guests. He thought that she would be able to humiliate him if he appeared. Yet, Robbie knew that there was seduction behind her act of anger and decided to attend the dinner.
Robbie decides to write Cecilia an apology letter for breaking the base. However he has trouble expressing himself. He even writes a few rough drafts to make sure he said the right words. In one of the drafts, he expressed his sexual desires.
As Robbie gets ready for the dinner party, we learn more about the Turner family, especially Robbie’s parents-Grace and Ernest Turner. Ernest was Jack Tallis’s gardener. He walked out on the family when Robbie was six years old, and the reason is unknown. Robbie’s mother concluded that he was sent to serve at WWI and was killed; this seems logical because there is no other reason why he would take no interest in his son. Jack Tallis felt sorry for the Robbie and Grace, so when Ernest walked away, he employed Grace as a house cleaner and handed her the cabin.
Before he leaves the Turner cabin, Robbie has a small conversation with his mom about Molly and laundry. On his way to the dinner party, Robbie sees Briony on the bridge over a lake that is close to the Tallis house. He asks Briony to give Cecilia the apology letter so this way he wouldn’t have to do it in front of the other guests and this way she could read it before she actually saw him.
Briony agrees and as she runs away toward home, Robbie realizes that he has placed the wrong letter in the envelope. The rough draft expressing his sexual desires was taking place of the apologetic note.
Analysis
When Robbie analyzes his changing feelings for Cecilia, we find that social class plays a role in the relationship of the two families. He states that the reason why she didn’t see him in a romantic way through out their childhood was because social class was in between. He was the “cleaning lady’s son” and she was his “mother’s employer’s daughter”. Robbie is knows his position in class, but it is noted, “he liked people to know he didn’t care.” This expresses the author’s view that human beings are just “material objects” and are all the same. Also, Robbie states that due to Cecilia’s social class he can be humiliated for his feelings. Yet he enjoys this humiliation.
By his references to various writers and books, we see that Robbie is fond of literature. His room is surrounded by books and has his own typewriter that he uses with frequency. This relates him to the mature narrating Briony. Robbie played Malvolio in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”, which relates to how he perceives love and life. Malvolio was someone who was raised in a strict environment and was strong of convictions, but when he falls in love, he beings to goes against all his conviction, which leads him into deep trouble. The same thing happens when Robbie writes that letter which will cause him problems with the Tallis family.
Robbie also alludes to Sigmund Freud’s Three Essays on Sexuality to express his sexual frustration. These three essays explain the nature of sexual desires, especially in the transition of child to adult. This allusion is important to see that Robbie is not a horrible person for having these sexual desires.
Another thing to note is the difficulty that Robbie has when writing the apology letter to Cecilia. He has so much trouble finding the right words he many drafts. This behavior foreshadows to Briony writing the novel itself to fain atonement. We see that she also revises the novel various times before having what she wants. The older narrating Briony is relating to Robbie’s struggle to express her feelings of guilt to gain forgiveness.
- You might more explicitly contrast his view of the tension between them with Cecilia's view of them. We get, for instance, a revision of the incident in which he takes off his boots and then his socks before entering their home. You could then tie it back to the central issue of perception in the novel. The summary is great, though, especially as you're able to negotiate the issue of the letters :)
Chapter eight is written from Robbie Turner’s point of view. It begins with Robbie sitting in his bathtub fantasizing about the image of Cecilia he had seen that afternoon- her standing soaking wet in her underwear before him. He notices that his feelings for Cecilia are now changing. He had known her his whole life but he had never looked at her.
Robbie debated if he should or shouldn’t accept Leon’s invitation to dinner. He knew that Cecilia was angry with him and would be angrier if she found out that he was one of the guests. He thought that she would be able to humiliate him if he appeared. Yet, Robbie knew that there was seduction behind her act of anger and decided to attend the dinner.
Robbie decides to write Cecilia an apology letter for breaking the base. However he has trouble expressing himself. He even writes a few rough drafts to make sure he said the right words. In one of the drafts, he expressed his sexual desires.
As Robbie gets ready for the dinner party, we learn more about the Turner family, especially Robbie’s parents-Grace and Ernest Turner. Ernest was Jack Tallis’s gardener. He walked out on the family when Robbie was six years old, and the reason is unknown. Robbie’s mother concluded that he was sent to serve at WWI and was killed; this seems logical because there is no other reason why he would take no interest in his son. Jack Tallis felt sorry for the Robbie and Grace, so when Ernest walked away, he employed Grace as a house cleaner and handed her the cabin.
Before he leaves the Turner cabin, Robbie has a small conversation with his mom about Molly and laundry. On his way to the dinner party, Robbie sees Briony on the bridge over a lake that is close to the Tallis house. He asks Briony to give Cecilia the apology letter so this way he wouldn’t have to do it in front of the other guests and this way she could read it before she actually saw him.
Briony agrees and as she runs away toward home, Robbie realizes that he has placed the wrong letter in the envelope. The rough draft expressing his sexual desires was taking place of the apologetic note.
Analysis
When Robbie analyzes his changing feelings for Cecilia, we find that social class plays a role in the relationship of the two families. He states that the reason why she didn’t see him in a romantic way through out their childhood was because social class was in between. He was the “cleaning lady’s son” and she was his “mother’s employer’s daughter”. Robbie is knows his position in class, but it is noted, “he liked people to know he didn’t care.” This expresses the author’s view that human beings are just “material objects” and are all the same. Also, Robbie states that due to Cecilia’s social class he can be humiliated for his feelings. Yet he enjoys this humiliation.
By his references to various writers and books, we see that Robbie is fond of literature. His room is surrounded by books and has his own typewriter that he uses with frequency. This relates him to the mature narrating Briony. Robbie played Malvolio in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”, which relates to how he perceives love and life. Malvolio was someone who was raised in a strict environment and was strong of convictions, but when he falls in love, he beings to goes against all his conviction, which leads him into deep trouble. The same thing happens when Robbie writes that letter which will cause him problems with the Tallis family.
Robbie also alludes to Sigmund Freud’s Three Essays on Sexuality to express his sexual frustration. These three essays explain the nature of sexual desires, especially in the transition of child to adult. This allusion is important to see that Robbie is not a horrible person for having these sexual desires.
Another thing to note is the difficulty that Robbie has when writing the apology letter to Cecilia. He has so much trouble finding the right words he many drafts. This behavior foreshadows to Briony writing the novel itself to fain atonement. We see that she also revises the novel various times before having what she wants. The older narrating Briony is relating to Robbie’s struggle to express her feelings of guilt to gain forgiveness.
- You might more explicitly contrast his view of the tension between them with Cecilia's view of them. We get, for instance, a revision of the incident in which he takes off his boots and then his socks before entering their home. You could then tie it back to the central issue of perception in the novel. The summary is great, though, especially as you're able to negotiate the issue of the letters :)