# Fighting explained — After London

> Chapter companion for After London by Richard Jefferies.

## What happens

Felix observes the king's review and the subsequent skirmishes and assaults during the siege. He witnesses a daring attack on the city wall where four knights scale the parapet, only to be repelled after fierce fighting. The chapter highlights the brutal reality of medieval warfare, the lack of discipline, and the callous disregard for the lives of common retainers and slaves, which tempers Felix's initial eagerness for battle.

## Themes in this chapter

### War and Conflict

The chapter depicts the brutal realities of siege warfare, including assaults on walls, skirmishes, and the high casualty rate among unarmored retainers.

### Social Class and Servitude

The stark contrast between the armored knights and the disposable retainers/slaves is highlighted, with the latter left to die or recover on their own.

### Individual vs. Society

Felix's personal disillusionment with the king's callousness and the army's lack of discipline sets him apart from the prevailing martial culture.

## Character check-ins

### Sir Felix

Felix observes the king and the fighting, initially eager to join but becomes disillusioned by the disregard for common soldiers' lives.

### Prince Louis

The king is depicted as a massive, powerful figure who watches the assault as entertainment, calling it 'a capital main of cocks.'

## Key lines

> No one could look upon him without admiration, and it was difficult to think that he could so demean himself as to wallow in the grossest indulgence.

The king's impressive appearance made it hard to believe he could stoop to such debauchery.

_Felix reflects on the king's contradictory nature—majestic yet dissolute._

> To call such an exhibition of courage 'a main of cocks,' to look on it as a mere display for his amusement, was barbarous and cruel in the extreme.

Felix is outraged that the king would dismiss the assault as mere sport, showing barbaric cruelty.

_Felix's growing anger at the king's indifference to the loss of life._

> The mailed knights thought no more of their men, unless it was some particular favourite, than of a hound slashed by a boar's tusk in the chase.

Knights cared for their retainers no more than they would for a hunting dog injured in the field.

_Illustrates the dehumanizing class divide in the medieval military._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/after_london_se/chapters/xix-fighting
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/after_london_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/after_london_se/chapters