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Illustrated portrait of Jackson Quincey

A character in Atonement

Jackson Quincey

One of Lola's nine-year-old twin brothers, whose flight starts the night search.

What they want

To escape the failed visit, family distress, and rules imposed by older children and adults.

The book

Cover of Atonement by Ian McEwan
AtonementIan McEwan, 2001

A child's false certainty separates two lovers, and a lifetime of writing cannot restore what history takes from them.

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At a glance

Age
Nine
Twin
Pierrot Quincey
Sister
Lola Quincey

Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Jackson is one of Lola's nine-year-old twin brothers. Divorce has displaced the children into the Tallis household.

The failed play and adult tensions leave him and Pierrot feeling controlled rather than welcomed. Their decision to run away sends the household into the dark.

How the book draws them

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • Twin but distinctHe shares clothing and circumstances without losing identity.
  • Frustrated actorThe rehearsal becomes another demand.
  • Runaway childFlight expresses distress adults have not heard.
  • Muddy returnThe search ends with exhausted children, not adventure.
What the twins' flight causesHow the book leaves them, what happened after, and what the record says. Open when you're ready.

The search scatters the household and creates the darkness in which Lola is attacked and Briony makes her identification.

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