Characters

Protagonist
Precocious girl with a gift for writing which leads to a necessity to control everything around her
- Much older siblings and absent parents, so used to having control over her own insulated life
- Writing fulfils this need, as she can create entire worlds that she controls
- Sees herself as much smarter than everyone around her
Her childishness is emphasised by how little she questions her own assumptions and views about the world
Misinterprets the fountain scene, which leads her to wrongly accuse Robbie
- Driven by her love of storytelling, illusion that she is already grown up and preconception that she understands things that she really does not
Later becomes a nurse and works to make up for what she did to Robbie
Revealed at the end that she has written the novel in an attempt to atone
- Understands that she can never be forgiven
Narrates the conclusion as an elderly woman who has been diagnosed with terminal dementia

Briony’s sister
Realises early in the story that she is in love with Robbie
When Briony accuses Robbie, Cecilia cuts off her ties with her family and promises to wait for Robbie
She becomes a nurse
Briony and Cecilia reconnect slightly during the war as Briony tries to take back her false testimony
At the end, Briony says that Cecilia died in a bombing soon after Robbie died

Son of Grace and Ernest Turner
Studied at Cambridge and plans to become a doctor
Education is funded by the Tallises, who treat him like a son
Realises he is in love with Cecilia
Wrongly imprisoned for Lola’s rape
After three years in prison, enlists in the army in exchange for a reduced sentence
In Part Three, he is at Cecilia’s apartment and is still furious with Briony
- Revealed at the end that Briony made this bit up to give him a life with Cecilia
Actually died the night before the Dunkirk evacuation

Briony’s older cousin
Acts mature but is only 15
Raped by Paul Marshall and is so traumatised that she accepts Briony’s testimony
- Seems likely that she knows Paul was her rapist
Later marries Paul, implied to be an agreement to both hide their complicity in Robbie’s imprisonment and because she will become wealthy
Becomes a well-known London socialite

Leon’s dull friend who is making a fortune in chocolate
- His company manufactures Amo bars
When he visits the Tallis family, they think he may be a good match for Cecilia, but he is uninterested in her
He rapes Lola but lets Robbie take the blame
Later marries Lola
Becomes a philanthropist

Briony, Cecilia and Leon’s mother, Jack’s wife
Relatively absent parent, partially due to her debilitating migraines
Snob, condescending towards Robbie, dislikes Jack funding his education
Hates her sister Hermione, sees her as always stealing attention
- Thinks Lola is exactly the same

Briony, Cecilia and Leon’s father, Emily’s husband
Absent parent because he works as a high-ranking bureaucrat in London
- During tensions leading up to WW2
Seems to be a kind man- funds Robbie’s education and supports Grace
- Aid abruptly stops when Robbie is blamed for Lola’s rape

Lola’s little brothers
At the beginning, they are rowdy young boys, and the events of Part One pass over their heads
Pierrot appears at the end, when he leads his grandchildren in a performance of The Trials of Arabella

Lola, Pierrot and Jackson’s parents
In the middle of an unpleasant, public divorce, so they send the children to stay with the Tallises