Theme Of Childhood Flashcards
“(Briony) had arranged 3 stools in a row while she herself jammed her rump into an ancient baby’s high chair- a bohemian touch that gave her an umpires advantage of height”
Briony positions herself in a physically higher position that her cousins signifying her need for power and authority . A “tennis umpire” enforces the rules of tennis onto the players, which reflects a desire for control. The oxymoronic “Ancient baby’s chair” betrays Briony’s pretensions, thus her attempts to seize power seems artificial, meaningless and cartoonish. The oxymoron represents the 2 competing notions of adulthood and childhood. Adulthood can only be accessed through experience and not pretence. Her actions are also juvenile and childlike.
“”(Lola sat) with left leg balanced on right knee, was, by, contrast perfectly composed, having liberally applied perfume and changing into a green gingham frock to offset her colouring”
Lola is represented as a naive young girl who desperately attempts to conceal her innocence and naivety with the trappings of the adult world. Her body Lang being “perfectly composed” highlight the meticulous construction of an adult persona. Furthermore her knowledge of fashion is illustrated in the “gingham frock” highlighting her attempt to prematurely penetrate adulthood.
“The sight of these nails gave B a constricting sensation around her sternum, she knew at once that she could not ask Lola to play the Prince”
Another theme that is accompanied with childhood is jealousy. Jealousy arises when L/B feel they have been unsuccessful in their impersonation of adulthood. Here, this jealousy causes emotional distress demonstrates in “TCSAS” which is the centre of the chests. Sternum instead of heart for sophistication. This jealousy mixed with nativity prove to explosive.
“Briony felt the disadvantage of being 2 years younger than the other girl, of having a full 2 years weigh against her and now her play seemed a miserable, embarrassing thing”
“As for Lola she spoke her lines correctly but casually and sometimes smiled inappropriately at some private thought determined to demonstrate that her nearly adult mind was elsewhere”
