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Christy Moran
Father Buckley is a Catholic priest who serves as the chaplain in Willie’s company in the British Army. Father Buckley accompanies Willie and his fellow soldiers on the Western Front, holding Mass and offering confession for them. Before battles, he often speaks to the soldiers to encourage and comfort them. After battles, Father Buckley tends to the dead, prays for their souls, and helps bury their bodies. In the trenches, Father Buckley sees all the horrors of war even though he’s not a soldier himself, and grief weighs heavily on him. Nevertheless, Father Buckley continues to do his duty. He cares sincerely for all the soldiers he meets regardless of their religious affiliations. In return, he’s well-liked by all the men who know him. Throughout the war, Father Buckley treats Willie kindly and sometimes offers him guidance. For instance, the priest gently reminds Willie that he’s allowed to think differently from his father. Out of compassion, Father Buckley also tries to help Jesse Kirwan when Jesse is court-martialed for disobedience. As an Irishman, Father Buckley believes in Ireland’s independence and supports Willie Redmond, an Irish nationalist politician. Like Redmond, Father Buckley hopes for peaceful unity between nationalists and unionists in Ireland. In August 1917, Father Buckley dies in the battle at Langemarck.
Father Buckley Quotes in A Long Long Way
The A Long Long Way quotes below are all either spoken by Father Buckley or refer to Father Buckley. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8
Quotes
Suddenly the enemy guns opened their filthy cursing mouths and belched forth a ruinous misery of shells. […] But the men didn’t drop a stitch of the Hail Mary they were halfway through knitting, one soothing word to the next.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14
Quotes
He wondered suddenly and definitely for the first time in his life what words might be. Sounds and sense certainly, but something else also, a kind of natural music that explained a man’s heart or heartlessness, words as tempered as steel, as soft as air. He felt his sore head clear and his back lighten and his legs strengthen. It was as strange to him as the sight of death. He hoped the words would work on the dead and be a balm to them also.
Chapter 16
Quotes
“You can know your own mind and your father can know his.”
“But my father and me always had the one mind on things. That’s the trouble, I think—I don’t even know. I’m confused, Father.”
Chapter 19
Quotes
“It’s a funny, dark world out at the war, Papa,” said Willie slowly. “It brings your mind to think a thousand thoughts, a thousand new thoughts.”
“I won’t stand here and listen to your villainy!” shouted his father.
Get the entire A Long Long Way LitChart as a printable PDF.
Father Buckley Quotes in A Long Long Way
The A Long Long Way quotes below are all either spoken by Father Buckley or refer to Father Buckley. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8
Quotes
Suddenly the enemy guns opened their filthy cursing mouths and belched forth a ruinous misery of shells. […] But the men didn’t drop a stitch of the Hail Mary they were halfway through knitting, one soothing word to the next.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14
Quotes
He wondered suddenly and definitely for the first time in his life what words might be. Sounds and sense certainly, but something else also, a kind of natural music that explained a man’s heart or heartlessness, words as tempered as steel, as soft as air. He felt his sore head clear and his back lighten and his legs strengthen. It was as strange to him as the sight of death. He hoped the words would work on the dead and be a balm to them also.
Chapter 16
Quotes
“You can know your own mind and your father can know his.”
“But my father and me always had the one mind on things. That’s the trouble, I think—I don’t even know. I’m confused, Father.”
Chapter 19
Quotes
“It’s a funny, dark world out at the war, Papa,” said Willie slowly. “It brings your mind to think a thousand thoughts, a thousand new thoughts.”
“I won’t stand here and listen to your villainy!” shouted his father.
