Week 4

This week we read Atonement.

Our first destination was the British Library. Briony, the narrator of the story came of age as a writer. If her story was real it would have been with the other Literature. Briony seeked atonement through her writing. If you haven't read, go read Atonement to find out what crime she committed and why she must seek atonement. There's a huge plot twist...

Here is an image of How I Love Thee by Elizabeth Barret Browning found in the Literature section. 

Our second destination was the Imperial War Museum. Part 2 of the novel takes place during wartime. 

Here is Graham Zeitlin. He was 10 years old during WWII and had to seek shelter in the Morrison shelter like the one pictured below. Meeting him was the best part of my week by far. He told us stories of his childhood and said it was wonderful. He never missed school except for five days when it was bombed, he could make his own ice cream because he could not easily go to the store and buy it, and he carried on as normal.  Talking to him put into perspective how we take things for granted today. 

Morrison Shelter, people went here during an air raid. It was also protected with a layer of Earth.

This museum gave me an idea of the conditions Robbie must have faced in the novel.  Robbie served in the infantry and soldiers had to fight hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and madness. If Robbie had a better education, he could have had a better rank which could lead to more protection and safety.

Our final destination was the Florence Nightengale Museum 

Here is Florence's notebook she used during the war.  Florence wrote much more than what could be in the museum. Briony also served as a nurse and used writing as an escape. This notebook detailed instructions for Florence's nurses. Reader's know Briony was also very organized and always seeked control.

I am very interested in medicine so here is highly toxic medicines Florence carried to the Crimean war for her nurses.