Private Peaceful

As dawn approaches, Thomas reflects on the stark contrast between the mornings at his childhood home and the mornings that he now experiences on the battlefield. Mornings in the trenches fill him with dread because of the haunting possibility of Death. However, on this particular morning, the certainty around his brother’s fate gives him solace. He remembers more about his time at war.

Life on the front line has become quiet as Thomas and the other soldiers welcome new recruits. They engage with the newcomers, sharing stories, offering reassurance, and teasing them lightly.

However, a sudden and unexpected event disrupts the calm. While Thomas is writing a letter in the dugout, panic ensues as a gas cloud approaches. He doubts the effectiveness of his gas mask, succumbs to fear, and runs, breathing in some gas before collapsing. In the reserve trench, a German soldier spares Thomas’s life. Later, Thomas learns that his unit managed to counterattack and retake the trenches but suffered heavy casualties, including Nipper Martin.

Reuniting with Pete, they reflect on their experiences. Thomas shares letters from home, starting with one from his mother. She expresses joy over the birth of Thomas’s nephew and Charlie’s visit. Mrs. Peaceful mentions that Charlie’s accounts of the war do not align with the harsh reality often portrayed in media, which frustrates Pete. He vents his anger at Charlie’s depiction of the war as a “fine time.”

In the second letter, Charlie tells Thomas about his newborn son, Tommo, named after him. He mentions his return home on limited leave and the difficulty of explaining the war to their family. Charlie wants to shield their loved ones from the gruesome details of their experiences. Molly briefly adds her thoughts, noting how their son resembles the Peaceful brothers and commending Thomas for his bravery.

Meanwhile, Thomas and his fellow soldiers continue to endure Sergeant Hanley’s relentless demands, including inspections, training, and drilling. These activities have left them so physically and emotionally drained that Thomas briefly considers desertion. Ultimately, his commitment to his comrades and Molly’s acknowledgement of his bravery keep him from leaving.

Thomas and the soldiers are granted one night of freedom in the town and visit the local pub. Thomas is eager to see Anna, but she is suspiciously absent. Later, he learns the tragic news that Anna was killed by a shell while fetching eggs. The devastating event profoundly affects Thomas. He visits Anna’s grave but struggles to find solace.

Charlie’s unexpected return lifts everyone’s spirits except Sergeant Hanley’s. Thomas and Charlie discuss their reluctance to talk about their family and home. Charlie wants to keep these memories separate from the horrors of war, a sentiment that Thomas understands and respects.

The soldiers endure a relentless artillery bombardment. Thomas, overwhelmed, screams in terror. Charlie comforts him by singing “Oranges and Lemons,” and others join in as a way to cope with fear. The shelling eventually subsides, but Thomas falls to his knees, seemingly injured and in intense pain, and loses consciousness.

Thomas reflects on the minutes leading up to his brother Charlie’s execution. He contemplates how to spend his remaining time. Thomas acknowledges that there is nothing he can do now. He envisions the firing squad, expressing a desire for the execution to be quick and to occur in a natural, open setting with birds.

On the battlefield, Thomas awakens in darkness, realizing that he is buried alive, leading to a frantic struggle to escape. Charlie and their comrades rescue him, bringing him into an old German dugout in No Man’s Land. Despite heavy enemy fire, Sergeant Hanley orders them to charge the German trenches, prompting Charlie to suggest that waiting and returning after dark might be safer. 

Charlie’s defiance infuriates Sergeant Hanley, who leads the other soldiers out of the dugout, leaving Charlie and Thomas behind.

While they wait anxiously, Charlie’s concern grows. Fearing the worst, he asks Thomas to promise to take care of things if he does not survive and gives his brother the cherished watch that Captain Wilkes gifted him.

As Thomas drifts into sleep, he is haunted by a recurring childhood nightmare about their father’s death. The nightmare prompts him to make a resolution: He will tell Charlie about the guilt that he carries over what happened on the day their father died as soon as he wakes up.

Upon waking up, Thomas sees Sergeant Hanley angrily watching the brothers. As night falls, it becomes clear that several soldiers, including Pete, are still missing. The sergeant and the remaining men crawl across No Man’s Land back to their trenches. When they arrive, Charlie is immediately placed under arrest.

After six weeks, the court martial delivers its verdict, condemning Charlie to execution. During Thomas’s brief visit with Charlie, he learns that his brother’s efforts to defend himself were unsuccessful. Sergeant Hanley’s testimony and Charlie’s record of insubordination led the court to believe that his foot wound was self-inflicted. Charlie attempted to contact Captain Wilkes for support but discovered that he had passed six months earlier. The court rejected his requests for witnesses, reaching a verdict in under an hour, leaving Charlie with little chance to present his case.

The emotional impact of the court martial is evident in Charlie’s words, as he remembers being dismissed and called “worthless” during the proceedings: “It was not a trial, Tommo. They’d made up their minds I was guilty before they even sat down” (177). Despite Charlie’s refusal to show his emotions to the court, the dehumanizing nature of the trial makes an impact on him.

Charlie pleads with Thomas to ensure that their family knows the truth about what happened. As their time together ends, they exchange stories from their childhood and sing “Oranges and Lemons,” which Charlie plans to sing in the morning in a defiant act of resistance.

Upon his return to camp, Thomas learns that Sergeant Hanley, a key figure in Charlie’s conviction, was killed in an accident. This provides a small sense of justice, albeit too late.

Thomas gathers up courage and finally tells Charlie about his guilt over his father’s Death. Charlie assures his brother that the family knew of his recurring nightmares, but no one ever blamed him for his father’s passing: “All nonsense. Not your fault” (180). The long-held secret now seems small in comparison to what the brothers will face.

As the time for Charlie’s execution comes, Thomas finds solace in the idea that they will be together in spirit, looking at the same sky, even if he cannot physically be with Charlie.

Thomas tries in vain to shield his thoughts from the grim reality of Charlie’s final moments. He envisions Charlie walking with dignity, much like when he faced punishment from Mr. Munnings at school. He imagines the firing squad, visibly uneasy, burdened by the task of executing a comrade. He imagines Charlie declining a hood, looking skyward, and softly singing “Oranges and Lemons” as he awaits his fate.

Returning to the barn, Thomas discovers the entire camp mourning outside their tents, Birds singing in the background. The next day, Thomas retrieves Charlie’s belongings and joins five fellow soldiers, who shared the dugout with Charlie, on a visit to his gravesite. 

As Thomas’s regiment marches toward the Somme, anticipating a major offensive, he is adamant about returning home and fulfilling his promises to his brother.