“It was just that when I woke up, the nightmares didn’t always stop. So I used to see…Corpses. Men with half their faces shot off, crawling across the floor.” Pg. 12, Sassoon

“His body seemed to have become merely the skin-and-bone casing for a tormented alimentary canal. His suffering was without purpose or dignity.” Pg. 19, Rivers talking about Burns

“Sassoon woke to the sound of screams…” Pg. 63

“NOTHING PHYSICALY WRONG” Pg. 42, Prior

“I got the impression they didn’t believe in shell-shock at all. As far as they were concerned it was just cowardice.” Pg. 22, Rivers about the Board

“The patient had been strapped to a chair for periods of twenty minutes at a time, and very strong electric current applied to his neck and throat. Hot plates had been applied repeatedly to the back of the throat, and lighted cigarettes to the tongue.” Pg. 227, Yealland’s methods of healing loss of speech

“Suddenly his body had the rag-doll floppiness of the newborn. He collapsed against Rivers and started to shake…” Pg. 180, Rivers finds Burns in the moat

“If the country demanded that price, then it should bloody well be prepared to look at the result.” Pg. 160, Sarah reacting to men in wheelchairs at the hospital

“I believe that the war, which I entered as a war of defence and liberation, has now become a war of aggression and conquest” – P.3

“Every step was a separate effort, hauling his mud clogged boots out of the sucking earth” – P.38

"They seemed to have changed so much during the war, to have expanded in all kinds of ways, whereas men over the same period had shrunk into a smaller and smaller space." P.90

"The way I see it, when you put the uniform on, in effect you sign a contract. And you don't back out of a contract merely because you've changed your mind." P.23

"The war that had promised so much in the way of ‘manly’ activity had actually delivered ‘feminine’ passivity, and on a scale that their mothers and sisters had scarcely known. No wonder they broke down." – P.108 (Rivers)

"Nothing justifies this. Nothing nothing nothing." – P.180

"You must speak, but I shall not listen to anything you have to say." – P.223 

Sassoon for love between men: ’Sassoon’s the best platoon commander I’ve ever known. The men worshipped him- if he wanted German heads on a platter they’d get them. And he loves them. Being separated from them would kill him. And that’s exactly what court martial would’ve done.’ PG 21

Rivers as a father figure: ‘he was used to being adopted as a father figure- he was, after all, thirty years older than the youngest of his patients- but it was rare for it to happen as quickly as this in a man of Sassoon’s age.’ PG 34

Rivers as a father figure: ‘All the way back to the hospital Burns had kept asking himself why he was going back. Now, walking up to find Rivers sitting by his bed, unaware of being observed, tired and patient, he realised he’d come back for this’. PG 40

‘She belonged with the pleasure seeking-crowd. He both envied and despised her, and was quite coldly determined to get her. They owed him something, all of them, and she should pay’. 

Sassoon

Rivers

Sarah Lumb 

Billy Prior 

Wilfred Owen

·      Carrie- page 27- “Elsie. I am terrified that jack will be killed. I dream of his death- night after night. Two of his friends are dead already. But there is nothing I can do about it.” 

·      Elsie- page 30- What was the point of those examinations? All totally humiliating for you Jack, and they all said the same thing- your eyesight isn’t good enough. It’s too dangerous. Well frankly Father it’ll be your fault if Jack is killed. 

·      Rudyard- Page 30- “Listen to me! A family of nations. And Britain, as parents- Mother and Father, has an absolute duty to protect its children, and some of those children are self-sufficient young adults, and need only a nudge in one direction or the other. But some are still bawling, inarticulate, aggressive kids, who need all the help and direction we can offer. But it is a family. And it is our responsibility as parents to feed, to educate, to guide, to maintain our children’s quality of life.”

·      Rudyard- Page 79- “Not a single. Many times a day. I’m not oblivious. Of course I’m not. I think about it all the time. And what truly terrifies me, is that if I’m complicit, inadvertently or otherwise, if I am to blame- what have I sent him on to, if anything at all. Because, really, what possible grounds are there for assuming our lives after death are protected, in any way whatsoever. Which is why it is so important that every sacrifice we make has true value, and Jack’s sacrifice we make has true value, and Jack’s sacrifice is doubly glorious if there’s nothing on the other side. But then I think- how dare you, how dare you, how could you, condemn your son to oblivion. To insensate nothingness. How could you, do that, to Jack?” 

·      Carrie- Page 78- “Jack was eighteen years and six weeks old. He died in the rain, he couldn’t see a thing, he was alone, in pain, you can’t persuade me there is any glory in that” 

·      Carrie- Page 76- “I’m so relieved that you see the death of our only son as such a positive and uplifting event. I am sincerely relieved that you are at ease with it all. I mean we have to look for the good in all this and your… I don’t know what to call it, your contentment shall we say, is a bonus isn’t it?”

·      Bowe- Page 75- “I should’ve helped him. I should’ve stayed. Forgive me.” 

·      Elsie- Page 52 “why did you let him go?”

 

'Pop it on please.'(Page 5)  - Condescending tone - patronising 

Rudyard also tries to protect John - preparing John from his meeting with the board. John desires to please his father - 'There.' 'I like that!' (Page 5) Reflects John's youth and vulnerability

Imperative verbs - 'you go before the Army Medical Board at three o' clock this afternoon.' (Page 5) Parental authority, John has little independence 

Elsie and John - Platonic relationship between brother, John + Elsie 

Short sentences = blunt and honest - "I didn't feel I should be here." (Page 19) - Elsie comforts her brother, sympathetic towards disappointment - conforms stereotypical female figure 

"Don't be silly." - Polite and gentle - stereotypical female character + childlike language is a reminder of her youth but "I don't think it would suit you." (Page 19) also reflects her as a strong, independent female with her own attitudes and actions. Elsie appears the more dominant figure in the relationship - Johns rejection makes him appear vulnerable "They turned me down." (Page 19)

Carrie and Rudyard - Complex relationship "Tired, tired to the tiredest degree." (Page 56)  - Repetition - emphasis on the draining nature of the search which contrasts with the enthusiasm and optimism of Carrie 

"I really don't remember Carrie." (Page 57)  - tone of irritation - complications with relationships - lack of interest in child causes complications, not fulfilling traditional husband and fatherly roles 

"Bird, we've made a breakthrough" (Page 57) - conveys Elsie's care and consideration for her brother - contrasts with Rudyard's discard perhaps as a result of guilt for being too forceful and sending John to war