How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
When a person has already seen Death—seen it once, at least—you'd think she'd remember whose shoulder it had been sitting on. But this particular person did not. (5.143)
Here's one of the first examples of Briony's confusion (which leads to our confusion) when it comes to her memory. Though many of the things she has trouble remembering happened within the past few years, Briony does not seem to think this weird. Why do you think her past few years are so fuzzy and confused?
Quote #2
You can outrun your memories, but sometime, you will have to stop. And when you do, there will always be Stepmother, waiting to be remembered. (11.63)
What does it mean when you block out memories of a specific person? Usually not anything good. Nearly all of Briony's memories seem to be linked to or influenced by her stepmother, and this is especially the case when it comes to her guiltiest and most painful memories.
Quote #3
"Do you want the version of the story in which I'm a hero, or do you want the true version?"
"Both," said Eldric. (12.92-93)
What a weird thing to say, Briony—most people prefer the truth. Still, Briony mentions versions of stories because she believes there is a true version and a version she tells people to protect herself.
Quote #4
Here's where my account of the fire diverges from the truth. I had, indeed, been writing, but the Horrors alone know what possessed me to stumble into the library. What made me call up the fire? (12.96)
Again Briony asks herself questions about her recent past that would be easier to answer if her memories were not split and cloudy. Anyone else having trouble answering these questions she keeps asking? That's probably because Briony makes sure we know even less than she does about the truth.
Quote #5
But after Eldric had finished, the reflection-slices returned. I saw Stepmother and the white pillow and the black hair and blood and spit. I saw myself too, saw my own bird hands holding a spoon. My hands were feeding Stepmother. (13.81)
Reflection slices? Is that like slices of a mirror? Not exactly… More than once, memories of Stepmother on her deathbed come to Briony in slices, or incomplete pieces. She continually tries to avoid these memories as they often make her feel sick to her stomach.
Quote #6
The smell of sickness had infected the room. I memory-smelled it, a bloated oozy smell, toad-scum, stagnant water. It crimpled the underside of my tongue. I memory-smelled eels. Eels in eel broth. That was a sick-making smell. Where was my mint-and-apple Brownie? (20.49-50)
What's that smell? Briony refers to "memory-smell," which seems to suggest that there is something she cannot or will not remember that has to do with eels. These hints of Briony's past prove there might be something else dark lurking there. How do eels smell anyway?
Quote #7
Memory is a queer thing. The smell of paraffin—why would I remember that? I'd called up the fire; I wouldn't have needed paraffin. (22.287)
Here comes that smell again… Briony tries not to think about certain things, but it seems like she keeps catching whiffs of things that remind her of missing or repressed memories. Here her memory of this smell conflicts with what she thinks happened that day. What do you think happened?
Quote #8
My memories had grown distorted over time. But I had them, at least: I remembered calling up the fire, I remembered turning Mucky Face against Stepmother, I remembered turning the wind against Rose. But I don't remember turning anything against Eldric. (22.290)
When she says that her memories have grown distorted, she writes off a very real problem like it's nothing. She doesn't fool us, though—something is super off.
Quote #9
"This is where you have to forget you're Briony Larkin," says Eldric. "Forget that you're clever, that you always have the right answer. The only right memory is the one that first comes to you." (31.63)
Suspecting Briony's trouble with two wildly different memories, Eldric pushes her to tell the truth. Thankfully one of these two has some sense.
Quote #10
I shall have to reverse the false memories that Stepmother stomped into my brain. You're a witch! She trod out paths to memories that never existed. You hurt Rose. She trod them out over and over, so they appeared to be real, even though they led to nothing at all. (32.9)
After learning that Stepmother lied to her and convinced her to believe she was and did things that she is not and did not, Briony realizes that she must work to undo what her stepmother did to her.