Atonement

Robbie takes a bath and remembers the sight of Cecilia diving into the fountain. He has known Cecilia for most of his life but has never really noticed how beautiful she is. For a long time, he assumed that Cecilia was embarrassed to be seen at university with him as he is from a lower socioeconomic class. Growing up, he thought of her “like a sister, almost invisible” (53). After their interaction at the fountain, however, he begins to suspect that she may actually be harboring feelings for him. He thinks about whether he should have refused Leon’s invitation to dinner and decides to write a letter to Cecilia.

As he sits in front of his typewriter, he thinks about his parents. His father, Ernest, abandoned Robbie and his mother, leaving them to “wonder about him for the rest of their lives” (56). He also thinks about his visit to the Tallis house a few days prior and decides to write Cecilia a letter to express his newfound feelings. Robbie writes several unsuccessful drafts. Becoming frustrated, he jokingly drafts a letter in which he vividly describes the sexual acts that he would like to perform with Cecilia. Robbie puts the vulgar letter to the side and writes a sincere letter.