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Chapter 8
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
Willie awakes in the trenches after the poisonous gas has dispersed. Nearby are Christy Moran, Father Buckley, and Captain Sheridan, who are all dazed but alive. Quigley, too, has managed to survive, although stretcher-bearers take him away for medical treatment. A small, thin man lies beside Willie as well—the German soldier he killed. Captain Sheridan writes a message in his notebook and sends Willie to deliver it to headquarters. On his way, Willie wonders how many Irishmen have died.
The aftermath of the gas attack reveals the high cost of war: wounded soldiers, countless dead, and grieving survivors. Notably, in death, the German soldier Willie killed no longer seems like a monster. Instead, he’s an ordinary human, whose life was cut short just like the lives of fallen Irishmen.
Themes
Willie arrives at company headquarters, which is a repurposed barn. Three British officers sit at a table inside. When Willie enters, they ask who his captain is. Willie first says Captain Pasley but then corrects himself. One of the officers, Major Stokes, reads Captain Sheridan’s message and insults the Irish soldiers for not being able to withstand “a bit of gas.” He also antagonizes Willie by complaining about his smell, although another officer tells Major Stokes to leave Willie alone. Willie himself feels numb. In his mind, he’s reliving the German soldier’s death.
Willie clearly misses Captain Pasley and wishes that he were still alive to be his commanding officer. The numbness Willie feels is part of the emotional toll that killing a man to save his own life has taken on him. Additionally, Major Stokes’s hostility toward Willie exemplifies anti-Irish sentiments within the British Army. As an Irish soldier, Willie suffers not only the horrors of war but also prejudice from some Englishmen for being Irish.
Themes
The three officers receive word that 800 out of 1,200 men died in the attack. Major Stokes despairs at this news. He tells Willie that he’ll send rations of stew and rum to Captain Sheridan’s men. Then he continues to insult Willie, apologizing reluctantly only when the other officers chide him. Willie accepts Major Stokes’s apology obediently and leaves.
The war results in steep, devastating casualties. Major Stokes continues to belittle Irishmen even as he knows that hundreds of them have fought obediently and been killed in battle. The major’s persistent antagonism suggests that Irish soldiers’ contribution to the war is undervalued within the British Army.
Themes
The surviving soldiers bury the corpses of both Irish and German men. Among all the bodies, Willie first looks for the German soldier he killed in the trenches. He collects the soldier’s belongings, which include a Bible, a porcelain horse, and two photographs. The photos depict a woman and seven children, likely the soldier’s own family. Willie gives the German soldier’s possessions to Captain Sheridan but keeps the horse figurine for himself.
The novel humanizes the dead German soldier by revealing his ties to his faith and family. Despite being an enemy soldier, the German man is an ordinary, sympathetic person. By keeping the horse figurine, Willie acknowledges the German man’s humanity and establishes a personal connection with him.
Themes
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Willie and his fellow soldiers begin digging graves. The simple physical labor is comforting to Willie. Pete O’Hara whistles while he works, and Willie recalls verses from the Book of Revelation. As his mind wanders, Willie thinks of Dempsey the builder and the damage being done to Dublin by all the fighting in the city. When he’s finished digging, Willie says a Hail Mary for “his” German soldier.
O’Hara uses music to ground himself, and Willie’s mind spontaneously turns to religion for a sense of comforting familiarity. Thus, the novel showcases that both music and faith help soldiers endure the trials of war. Willie’s prayer for the German soldier’s soul also demonstrates the pity and sorrow Willie feels for the dead man.
Themes
