Memoirs of an Infantry Officer · Chapter
I explained
The narrator, Sherston, is sent to the Fourth Army School at Flixécourt for a month's refresher course, a respite from the trenches.
What happens
The narrator, Sherston, is sent to the Fourth Army School at Flixécourt for a month's refresher course, a respite from the trenches. He contrasts the peaceful, almost civilian atmosphere of the school with the grim reality of the front line, and reflects on the absurdity of the training, particularly the bayonet lecture, which emphasizes killing. He finds solace in the beauty of the spring landscape and the simple comforts of the school, feeling a sense of personal peace and distance from the war.
Themes in this chapter
War as Futile Attrition
The narrator's reflection on the war's futility is evident in his observation that most soldiers would be dead or disabled before gas 'had time to grow up', and the contrast between the school's 'field-day make-believe' and the real trenches.
Disillusionment with Authority
Sherston's skepticism towards the instructors and their lectures, particularly the bayonet training, reveals a growing disillusionment with military authority and its unrealistic doctrines.
Nostalgia for Peacetime England
The narrator's appreciation for the peaceful spring landscape, the nightingale, and his books about England ('Far from the Madding Crowd', 'Lamb's Essays') highlights his longing for a pre-war idyll.
Dehumanization and Animal Instinct
The bayonet lecture's emphasis on 'killing face' and 'instilling fear' illustrates the dehumanizing process of military training, reducing soldiers to instinct-driven killers.
Characters to notice
- 2nd Lt. Sherston
Narrator, sent to Army School, finds respite and reflects on the contrast between training and front-line reality.
- Barton
Sees Sherston off at the crossroads, cheerful and calls him 'Lucky Kangaroo'.
- Flook
Sherston's servant, accompanies him to the school, comments on the pleasant change.
- Colonel Kinjack
Mentioned as possibly having sent Sherston to the school.
- The Highland Major
Lectures on 'The Spirit of the Bayonet', advocating killing with homicidal eloquence.
- The Sergeant
Assists the Major, demonstrates the 'killing face' and bayonet techniques.
Key passages
“The bullet and the bayonet are brother and sister.”
The bullet and the bayonet are closely related weapons.
A maxim from the bayonet lecture, emphasizing the unity of firearms and cold steel in combat.
“If you don’t kill him, he’ll kill you.”
Kill or be killed.
A brutal simplification of the survival imperative in war, used to motivate soldiers.
“Stick him between the eyes, in the throat, in the chest.”
Aim for the most vulnerable parts of the body.
Instruction on where to strike with a bayonet for maximum lethality.
“Don’t waste good steel. Six inches are enough. What’s the use of a foot of steel sticking out at the back of a man’s neck? Three inches will do for him; when he coughs, go and look for another.”
Use only the necessary amount of bayonet to kill, then move on to the next target.
A chillingly practical tip on efficient killing, highlighting the dehumanizing nature of the training.
