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Chapter 7
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Long Long Way, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Youth, Naivety, and Growing Up
The Horrors of War
Family, Camaraderie, and Love
Political Conflict and Divided Loyalties
Resilience and Shared Humanity
Summary
Analysis
Soon, Willie is back in Flanders. He rejoins his regiment, which is in reserve near Hulluch. Jesse Kirwan is assigned to a different unit, so Willie—to his disappointment—doesn’t see Jesse anymore. Although Willie is now far away from the bewildering events that just took place in Ireland, he’s been irrevocably affected by them. He yearns to know Christy Moran’s opinion about the rebels in Dublin, and he often has to fight back panic that his sisters might be in danger at home.
Willie’s firsthand experience of the Easter Rising has deeply unsettled him. The event has exposed how little Willie understands current political tensions in Ireland. Feeling lost, Willie seeks comfort and certainty in other people’s opinions, which he hopes will help him figure out what to think of the rebellion. At this point, Willie isn’t able to form his own conclusions about it. Additionally, the sudden eruption of violence in Dublin has left Willie with anxiety that his beloved family might not be safe.
Themes
The next day, Willie can’t stop thinking about the young man who died on Mount Street. When Willie describes what he witnessed in Dublin to Christy Moran, Christy curses the rebels for stirring up trouble at home while Irishmen are risking their lives in the war. The sergeant reassures Willie that the conflict will likely be over soon. Later, the soldiers cheer when they hear that the British army has brought gunboats into Dublin to subdue the rebels.
Witnessing a young Irish rebel’s death has had a strong emotional impact on Willie. Notably, Christy and other Irish soldiers don’t support the insurgents. Instead, they seem to care most about preserving peace at home, and they support the British Army’s use of force to crush the rebellion.
Themes
Willie’s company marches to the frontline trenches in Hulluch. In the evening, Willie writes a letter to his father, dated April 26, 1916. In his letter, Willie asks if his family is safe. He then recounts that some soldiers from Munster sang “God Save the King” yesterday despite being staunch Home Rulers, and he praises his father for always taking such good care of Willie and his sisters.
While Willie is far from home, he feels close to his family through his love and concern for them. In light of the Easter Rising, Willie reassures his unionist father that the Irish soldiers are still loyal to England. That some soldiers sang the United Kingdom’s national anthem suggests that even Irishmen with strong nationalist leanings don’t support the rebellion and want to distance themselves from the insurgents by displaying their allegiance to the British crown.
Themes
The following morning, Captain Sheridan tells his men to be ready for an imminent gas attack. Willie and the other soldiers have been given gas masks to wear to protect themselves. The colonel, a British man, tells the Irish soldiers not to let fear overcome them “again,” referring to the first gas attack at St. Julien. As the bombing and shooting begin, many of the soldiers kneel with Father Buckley and pray. Willie takes Father Buckley’s presence in the trenches as a bad sign. If the priest has chosen to stand with the men, then he must be anticipating a brutal attack. In general, Father Buckley is well-liked. He genuinely cares for the soldiers—both the living and the dead.
While Willie’s company faces another horrifying battle, the British colonel shows no sympathy for the traumatized soldiers. Instead, he exhibits prejudice against the Irishmen by assuming that they’re simply cowards. Meanwhile, the Irish soldiers seek comfort in praying together with Father Buckley before the attack. The men all draw courage and strength from their faith, which they trust to help protect them in the war.
Themes
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As gas sirens sound, the soldiers put on their gas masks and arm themselves with trench weapons. A new recruit named Quigley struggles desperately with his mask. Meanwhile, Willie’s mind floods with terror as he recalls the gas attack at St. Julien and envisions Captain Pasley’s corpse again. As Willie looks around him, he observes that the men crouching in the trenches appear almost as if they’re kneeling in church, despite how far from home they are.
Willie’s overwhelming fear and lasting grief over Captain Pasley’s death showcase the psychologically damaging effects that war has on soldiers. Additionally, Willie’s memory of men kneeling in church underscores the sharp contrast between such a peaceful scene from home and the soldiers’ current violent reality.
Themes
The gas rolls into the trenches. Almost immediately, Quigley collapses, coughing and screaming. Willie feels pity for him as Father Buckley tries to help the young soldier. Willie defecates in his pants from fear. He prays to his father and grandfather to protect him while machine guns fire and bombs explode.
The mustard gas attack causes soldiers physical pain and emotional suffering. Willie’s love for and trust in his father and grandfather are so strong that he instinctively turns to them for safety and comfort in a moment of crisis.
Themes
An eerie silence descends. Then a German soldier—a “grey monster in a mask”—jumps into the trench in front of Willie. Instinctively, Willie raises his weapon and strikes the German soldier, who rips off his mask and falls to the ground. More German soldiers leap into the trench, but the Irish soldiers fight back. In the close-quarters combat, Willie is knocked unconscious.
The brutal violence of war transforms a German man into a monster in Willie’s eyes and drives Willie to act on a basic, natural instinct for survival. As a result, Willie kills a man for the first time and further loses his former childhood innocence.
Themes
