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Paul Marshall is essentially the antithesis of Robbie Turner. Unlike Robbie, he was born into a wealthy family, inheriting success rather than working for it. Also, unlike Robbie, Paul is described by Cecilia as both stupid and dull. However, due to his high social standing, no one suspects for even a moment that Paul could be Lola’s true rapist. Paul allows the blame for his own crime to fall to Robbie. Similarly, Paul seems eager for war to break out at the beginning of the novel so that he can make money off providing the armed forces with his family’s chocolate. These actions show that Paul is only concerned with what he wants, no matter who else gets hurt in the process. At the end of the novel, it is revealed that after marrying Lola, Paul became an extremely wealthy and respected philanthropist. The true villain of the story, Paul is the only character who benefits from Briony’s crime.

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