Robbie Turner's Journey from Prison to War

Follows Robbie's transformation from an innocent man wrongly imprisoned to a hardened soldier, and his ultimate death at Dunkirk.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The promising student

The Scholarship Boy The Rise Robbie Turner is the son of Grace Turner, the Tallises' cleaning lady. He wins a scholarship to grammar school, then to Cambridge, where he earns a first in English literature. Jack Tallis has supported his education. Robbie is brilliant, ambitious, and confident. The Class Barrier Despite his success, Robbie is acutely aware of class. He is the "cleaning lady's son" in a world of privilege. At Cambridge, he and Cecilia drift apart. He becomes involved in leftist politics, affecting a working-class identity. But he is also drawn to the life of the mind. The Summer of 1935 Robbie returns to Surrey, working as a landscape gardener while considering medical school. He is restless and uncertain. The heat wave and his proximity to Cecilia stir feelings he has suppressed. The summer will change everything.

The prisoner

The Injustice The Arrest Robbie is arrested for a crime he did not commit. He spends three and a half years in prison. The experience is dehumanizing: concrete cells, bucket toilets, censorship of his letters. He is diagnosed as "morbidly oversexed" and denied visits from Cecilia. The Correspondence Robbie and Cecilia write to each other every week. Their letters are coded, using literary references to express love. The letters sustain him. He memorizes her words: "I'll wait for you. Come back." They are his reason to survive. The Hardening Prison changes Robbie. He becomes bitter and cynical. He fantasizes about revenge on Briony. But he also learns to endure. When he is released in 1939, he is a different man—older, harder, but still in love with Cecilia.

The soldier

The War The Army Robbie is conscripted into the British Army. He serves as a private in the Royal Army Service Corps. His education and prison record prevent him from becoming an officer. He is anonymous in the ranks, which suits him. The Retreat Robbie is sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force. When the German offensive begins, he is caught in the retreat. He is wounded by shrapnel and separated from his unit. He joins two corporals, Mace and Nettle, and together they walk toward Dunkirk. The Death Robbie reaches the beach at Bray Dunes, but his wound has become septic. He dies during the night, before he can be evacuated. His last thoughts are of Cecilia. He never learns that Briony tried to recant. His life is cut short by war and injustice.

before 1935

1935-1939

1939-1940