Robbie Turner

Outer characterization

Robbie Turner is an important character in the novel Atonement by Ian McEwan. He is the twenty-three-year-old son of the Tallis family’s cleaner and thus lives near the Tallis estate. His father used to be the Tallis family’s gardener but he suddenly left his job and family and disappeared when Robbie was six (Chapter 8, 29%). Though he is part of the working class, he grows up being treated like family by the Tallises, and Jack Tallis even pays for his education. As a result, Robbie gets a degree in literature from Cambridge and plans to go on to also study medicine. He does not manage to do this, however, as he is wrongfully imprisoned and then joins the army during the Second World War. 

His physical appearance is only briefly mentioned. His eyes are described as an “unblended mix of orange and green, made even more granular in sunlight” (Chapter 2, 54%), and he is tall.

Inner characterization

Robbie is intelligent and confident

Robbie is a very intelligent young man who manages to rise above his social status through the help of the Tallises. He gets a degree from Cambridge University and achieves top marks (Chapter 2, 31%), unlike Cecilia, who is privileged to receive the same great education but gets poorer marks. Moreover, he is determined to get a second degree in medicine with the financial help of Jack Tallis. He is also ambitious and hard-working, engaging in multiple activities while in school, such as acting, writing poems, drawing, or hiking (Chapter 8, 24%). His intelligence is also proven during the war when he and two higher-ranking officers get separated from their...