War Horse

by

Michael Morpurgo

Friedrich Character Analysis

Known to his comrades as “Crazy Old Friedrich,” Friedrich is a German officer in the artillery unit who develops a deep affection for Topthorn and, to a lesser extent, Joey, while they all serve under Herr Major. Before joining the German Army, Friedrich was a butcher. He longs to go back to his family but refuses to run away and tarnish the family’s reputation. He keeps to himself because he sees the war clearly for what it is: a colossal waste of life rather than a glorious exercise. Like Nicholls, Emilie, her grandfather, Albert, and Warren, he shows his own generosity and kindness in talking to the animals like his equals. And unlike Herr Major, he respects their limitations and doesn’t treat them like disposable pieces of equipment. He dies in the battle that breaks out just after Topthorn collapses of heart failure, falling to the ground next to his best wartime friend.

Friedrich Quotes in War Horse

The War Horse quotes below are all either spoken by Friedrich or refer to Friedrich. 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:
Dignity and Humanity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 4  Quotes

He must have known that I would follow old Zoey because he roped me up to her saddle and led us both quietly out of the yard down the path and over the bridge. Once in the road, he mounted Zoey swiftly and we trotted up the hill and into the village. He never spoke a word to either of us. I knew the road well enough, of course, for I had been there often enough with Albert, and indeed I loved going there because there were always other horses to meet and people to see. It was in the village only a short time before that I had met my first motorcar outside the post office and had stiffened with fear as it rattled past, but I had stood steadily, and I remember that Albert had made a big fuss over me after that.

Related Characters: Joey (speaker), Albert , Captain Nicholls, Trooper Charlie Warren, Emilie , Friedrich, Farmer, Zoey
Page Number: 23-24
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

“I tell you, my friends,” he said one day, “I tell you that I am the only sane man in the regiment. It’s the others who are crazy, but they don’t know it. They fight a war and they don’t know what for. Isn’t that crazy? How can one man kill another and not really know the reason why he does it, except that the other man wears a different color uniform and speaks a different language? And it’s me they call crazy! You two are the only rational creatures I’ve met in this stupid war, and like me, the only reason you’re here is because you were brought here […]. As it is, I’m going to live out this war as ‘Crazy Old Friedrich,’ so that I can return again to Schleiden and become Butcher Friedrich that everyone knew and respected before all this mess began.”

Related Characters: Friedrich (speaker), Joey, Topthorn, Captain Nicholls
Page Number: 97
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

After a brief inspection he, too, pronounced Topthorn to be dead. “I thought so. I told you so,” he said almost to himself. “They can’t do it. I see it all the time. Too much work on short rations and living outside all winter. I see it all the time. A horse like this can only stand so much. Heart failure, poor fellow. It makes me angry every time it happens. We should not treat horses like this—we treat our machines better.”

“He was a friend,” said Friedrich simply, kneeling down again over Topthorn and removing his headcollar. The soldiers stood all around us in complete silence, looking down at the prostrate form of Topthorn, in a moment of spontaneous respect and sadness. Perhaps it was because they had all known him for a long time and he had in some way become part of their lives.

Related Characters: Joey (speaker), Friedrich (speaker), Topthorn, Herr Major
Page Number: 103
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17 Quotes

Albert suddenly dropped my tail and moved slowly around me running his hand along my back. Then at last we stood facing each other. There was a rougher hue to his face, I thought; he had more lines around his eyes and was a broader, bigger man in his uniform than I remembered him. But he was my Albert, and there was no doubt about it […].

“Joey?” he said, tentatively, looking into my eyes. “Joey?” I tossed up my head and called out to him in my happiness, so that the sound echoed around the yard […]. Then he turned and walked away to the gateway before facing me, cupping his hands to his lips and whistling. It was his own whistle, the same low, stuttering whistle he had used to call me [before].

Related Characters: Joey (speaker), Albert (speaker), Captain Nicholls, Trooper Charlie Warren, Friedrich, David
Page Number: 129-130
Explanation and Analysis:
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Friedrich Quotes in War Horse

The War Horse quotes below are all either spoken by Friedrich or refer to Friedrich. 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:
Dignity and Humanity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 4  Quotes

He must have known that I would follow old Zoey because he roped me up to her saddle and led us both quietly out of the yard down the path and over the bridge. Once in the road, he mounted Zoey swiftly and we trotted up the hill and into the village. He never spoke a word to either of us. I knew the road well enough, of course, for I had been there often enough with Albert, and indeed I loved going there because there were always other horses to meet and people to see. It was in the village only a short time before that I had met my first motorcar outside the post office and had stiffened with fear as it rattled past, but I had stood steadily, and I remember that Albert had made a big fuss over me after that.

Related Characters: Joey (speaker), Albert , Captain Nicholls, Trooper Charlie Warren, Emilie , Friedrich, Farmer, Zoey
Page Number: 23-24
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

“I tell you, my friends,” he said one day, “I tell you that I am the only sane man in the regiment. It’s the others who are crazy, but they don’t know it. They fight a war and they don’t know what for. Isn’t that crazy? How can one man kill another and not really know the reason why he does it, except that the other man wears a different color uniform and speaks a different language? And it’s me they call crazy! You two are the only rational creatures I’ve met in this stupid war, and like me, the only reason you’re here is because you were brought here […]. As it is, I’m going to live out this war as ‘Crazy Old Friedrich,’ so that I can return again to Schleiden and become Butcher Friedrich that everyone knew and respected before all this mess began.”

Related Characters: Friedrich (speaker), Joey, Topthorn, Captain Nicholls
Page Number: 97
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

After a brief inspection he, too, pronounced Topthorn to be dead. “I thought so. I told you so,” he said almost to himself. “They can’t do it. I see it all the time. Too much work on short rations and living outside all winter. I see it all the time. A horse like this can only stand so much. Heart failure, poor fellow. It makes me angry every time it happens. We should not treat horses like this—we treat our machines better.”

“He was a friend,” said Friedrich simply, kneeling down again over Topthorn and removing his headcollar. The soldiers stood all around us in complete silence, looking down at the prostrate form of Topthorn, in a moment of spontaneous respect and sadness. Perhaps it was because they had all known him for a long time and he had in some way become part of their lives.

Related Characters: Joey (speaker), Friedrich (speaker), Topthorn, Herr Major
Page Number: 103
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17 Quotes

Albert suddenly dropped my tail and moved slowly around me running his hand along my back. Then at last we stood facing each other. There was a rougher hue to his face, I thought; he had more lines around his eyes and was a broader, bigger man in his uniform than I remembered him. But he was my Albert, and there was no doubt about it […].

“Joey?” he said, tentatively, looking into my eyes. “Joey?” I tossed up my head and called out to him in my happiness, so that the sound echoed around the yard […]. Then he turned and walked away to the gateway before facing me, cupping his hands to his lips and whistling. It was his own whistle, the same low, stuttering whistle he had used to call me [before].

Related Characters: Joey (speaker), Albert (speaker), Captain Nicholls, Trooper Charlie Warren, Friedrich, David
Page Number: 129-130
Explanation and Analysis: