"Atonement" by Ian McEwan Trivia Quiz

Answer: Briony Tallis

We discover that Briony Tallis is the author of "Atonement" at the end of part three of the book, where her initials and the words London, 1999 appear. She is 13 years old at the beginning of the story, a dramatic and introspective young girl. She relates the events of a day or so, and then tells how those events affect everyone who was there at the time, over the course of many years.

She became a famous author, and as an old, sick woman Briony reveals that she has written several versions of the book over a 59 year period.

She explains that she regarded it as her responsibility to record the events "as a matter of historical duty."

Answer: Lola Quincey

Lola was actually assaulted twice, once in her bedroom and again outdoors in the dark. The second attack was witnessed by Briony who gave evidence against the attacker, sending him to prison. Emily Tallis is Briony's mother, a lady prone to migraines, and Grace Turner is a family employee, mother of Robbie.

The twins who disappeared were Lola's brothers, who ran off and were found and returned safely by Robbie Turner.

Answer: Their parents are separated and will probably divorce.

Emily Tallis is aunt to 15 year old Lola and the nine year old twins, Jackson and Pierrot. Emily's sister Hermione and her husband Cecil have separated and will probably divorce. Lola reminds Emily of Hermione in that both mother and daughter have a way of showing off and "taking center stage" no matter what else is going on. Emily recalls that when she was a child of eleven and cut her hand severely, it was nine year old Hermione who got all the attention by having a screaming attack.

When Lola discovers that her brothers have run off she upstages them by running away herself.

Answer: chocolate

Paul Marshall owns a chocolate factory that manufactures Amo bars and he plans to supply every soldier with one of his bars, called Army Amo. Paul becomes very wealthy and runs the Marshall Foundation which grants funds to worthy causes.

Answer: She said that Robbie assaulted Lola.

Briony's lie about Robbie is the pivotal event of the novel. The repercussions of her lie affect the lives of everyone in her household. Robbie and Cecelia, Lola and Paul, her parents, and Briony herself are all changed forever. Paul is the actual guilty person.

Answer: Robbie and Cecelia were reunited.

In the first ending, Robbie and Cecelia are still in love and have been reunited, although Robbie is still in the army. Briony visits them and they agree on the terms by which Briony will confess her lie and try to make amends.

Answer: Robbie and Cecelia both died.

At the age of 77, Briony reveals that both Robbie and Cecelia died in 1940 and that many of the events in part three of her book never happened. She explains that she gave Robbie and Cecelia their happy ending in her last version of the book. "Who would want to believe that they never met again... I couldn't do it to them."

Answer: a play written by the young Briony

"The Trials of Arabella" was a play written by 13 year old Briony in honor of her brother Leon's homecoming. She had planned to present it to the family with her cousins filling out the roles, but Briony gave up the rehearsals in disgust after the cousins were not acting out their parts properly.

After much thought, Briony realized that writing stories is a better way to communicate than writing plays, so she decided to become a novelist. The play is finally performed 64 years later, at Briony's 77th birthday party.

Answer: It became a hotel.

The house was renovated into a hotel, called Tilney's Hotel. It is the site of Briony's 77th birthday party attended by her brother, her cousins, and all of their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. It is there that her old play is enacted, and where Briony's life is celebrated for her accomplishments as a successful novelist. And there she reveals to the reader the true fate of Cecelia and Robbie, as well as Lola and Paul, who have been married for many years.

Answer: It can't be published until Lola and Paul are dead.

Briony explains that the book cannot be published until Lola and Paul are dead. Since Lola and Paul also lied about Robbie, Briony's book names them as perjurers, and according to her publisher, "You may only libel yourself and the dead." Briony laments, "...my forensic memoir could never be published while my fellow criminals were alive." Briony knows that her poor health means that Lola and Paul will likely outlive her, so the book will be published after her death.