Previous
Chapter 5
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in War Horse, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Dignity and Humanity
Hope and Loss
Love and Loyalty
The Horrors of War
Summary
Analysis
On the journey to France, the cavalrymen feel buoyant and excited, but the pitching and rolling of the boat terrifies the horses. Corporal Samuel Perkins sometimes comes to hold Joey’s head, but he provides cold comfort to the frightened animal, who draws more strength from the calm support of Topthorn. Then, when they disembark, the horses’ spirits improve, but the soldiers’ spirits decline as they see the masses of wretched, injured soldiers waiting to return to England. On their march to the front line, the men regain their spirits somewhat, even as the incessant sound of artillery fire grows louder. Joey starts to have nightmares, although Topthorn stays close and comforts him.
The soldiers, unaware of the horrors that await them on the front lines of World War I, treat their outing like an exciting adventure, at least at first. But long before they reach the front lines themselves, they learn the true costs of this conflict. They will suffer acutely as cavalrymen, too: this war marks a transition from old-fashioned warfare, where men with swords on horses were valuable contributors in battle, to modern warfare, where men with swords on horses facing impersonal machine guns made very large targets for the enemy. Joey, as an animal, remains unsullied by the dreams of glory that animate the young soldiers, and thus he approaches the battle with a more appropriate emotion: fear. Still, the loyal Topthorn gives him hope and courage despite the increasingly bad odds.
Themes
The more he gets to know Captain Nicholls, the more Joey likes him. He is a gentle and considerate rider, quick to offer kindness and encouragement at the end of a day’s march and prone to talking to Joey. From Nicholls, Joey learns that the British and troops are retreating from the Germans, trying desperately to avoid being outflanked and cut off from their access to the sea. No one quite knows where the Germans lie in wait.
The growing relationship between Joey and Captain Nicholls highlights the importance of recognizing the individuality and importance of one’s fellow creatures, whether they be human or animal. And, by sharing his concerns about their mission with his horse, Nicholls also gives voice to the dangers and terror of war as a human endeavor.
Themes
The day of Joey’s first battle, the cavalry regiment “blunders” into the enemy line without much warning. As they quickly gather into formation, Captain Nicholls promises Joey that they’ll come through unharmed. Joey inches closer to Topthorn just as the bugle sounds and the whole regiment bursts into their charge. Joey sees the grey-clad German soldiers ahead, hears the “death rattle” of their machine gun, and feels Captain Nicholls fall from his back. Driven by blind terror, he keeps running, scattering German soldiers before him. He runs until Topthorn catches up to him and Captain Stewart takes his reigns.
The hapless way in which the British forces approach the front line points again to the massive shift in warfare in this conflict. Enemies no longer meet head to head in big battles; now, they lie in wait under the cover of the geography to attack each other. Joey shows how highly he values love and loyalty when he finds courage to face the charge by standing near his friend, Topthorn, and by listening to Nicholls’ soothing words. Yet, in this first battle, Joey faces another devastating loss with Nicholls’s death.
Themes
Joey hears the British troops declaring their victory, but he can only see the dead and dying horses on the battlefield. More than a quarter of the squadron died in that one charge. Joey never sees Captain Nicholls again, and he mourns the loss of the kind and gentle man. Captain Stewart tells Joey that Nicholls would have been proud of him for ending the charge that they began together. Topthorn stands watch over Joey as evening falls. As the gunfire falls silent for the night, they both sink into a deep, exhausted sleep.
By looking at the aftermath of the battle through Joey’s eyes, the book asks what victory means when it comes at the cost of such devastating loss of life. This also suggests that perhaps the animals—with their sense of loyalty and natural abhorrence of violence—are more humane than the human beings who claim dominance over them and the world. Still, in the charge, Joey demonstrated the courage that comes from his own personal character and his love for Nicholls.
Themes
Get the entire War Horse LitChart as a printable PDF.
