# II explained — Disenchantment

> Chapter companion for Disenchantment by C. E. Montague.

## What happens

The chapter reflects on the disillusionment of soldiers, particularly volunteers from the first year of the war, who enlisted with boundless illusions about honor, freedom, and civilization. It contrasts their naive idealism with the harsh reality of war and profiteering, using the metaphor of falling from a high horse to describe their subsequent disenchantment.

## Themes in this chapter

### Disillusionment and Disenchantment

The chapter centers on the fall from idealistic illusions to harsh reality for volunteers.

### Loss of Innocence and Illusion

Describes the 'boundless illusions' of early volunteers and their subsequent disillusionment.

### Propaganda and Deception

Implies that the volunteers were misled by 'rousing assurances' and a false sense of national unity.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The narrator reflects on the collective disillusionment of ex-soldiers and volunteers.

### Harry

Mentioned as 'indispensable Harry' who later forced conscripts to join the war.

### Garibaldi

Cited as an example of a leader whose men followed without hesitation, contrasting with the volunteers' naivety.

### Rupert Brooke

Quoted for his poem expressing the idealistic spirit of the early volunteers.

## Key lines

> Most of those volunteers of the prime were men of handsome and boundless illusions.

The early volunteers were filled with grand, unrealistic hopes.

_Summarizes the idealistic mindset of the first recruits._

> Of course, it is easy to say to any such simpleton now: 'Well, if you were like that, what could you expect? Vous l'avez voulu, George Dandin. You were rushing upon disillusionment.'

In hindsight, it's obvious that such naivety would lead to disappointment.

_Highlights the inevitability of disillusionment for the idealistic volunteers._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/disenchantment_se/chapters/ii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/disenchantment_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/disenchantment_se/chapters