Pete O’Hara Character Analysis

Pete O’Hara, a young Irish soldier from Sligo, is a member of Willie’s company in the British Army. O’Hara becomes one of Willie’s close friends as they survive the first years of the war together. He’s a skilled musician who sings and plays the piano, and he’s able to joke and lift Willie’s spirits in difficult times. In Amiens, he goes with Willie to a café, where they drink beer, dance, and sleep with sex workers. In August 1916, O’Hara commiserates with Willie about Jesse Kirwan’s execution. That night, he also reveals that he could be severely punished like Jesse, too, if the army ever found out that he aided a fellow soldier in raping a Belgian woman in the early days of the war. When Willie reacts with anger and disgust at his confession, O’Hara feels humiliated. He retaliates against Willie by writing an anonymous letter to Gretta, Willie’s girlfriend, informing her that Willie was unfaithful to her. Later, O’Hara regrets betraying Willie in this way. In early 1918, O’Hara is fatally shot during a battle on the Western Front. Just before he dies, he admits to Willie that he was the one who sent the letter to Gretta.