Now It Can Be Told · Chapter
XIV explained
The chapter describes the harrowing effects of shell-shock on soldiers, contrasting the brutal reality of war with the callousness of noncombatants who speak lightly of fighting.
What happens
The chapter describes the harrowing effects of shell-shock on soldiers, contrasting the brutal reality of war with the callousness of noncombatants who speak lightly of fighting. It includes a detailed account of a sergeant-major and a young Wiltshire lad suffering from shell-shock, and criticizes those far from the front who glorify war.
Themes in this chapter
Psychological Trauma
The chapter vividly describes the physical and mental devastation of shell-shock, highlighting the destruction of nerve tissues and the horror that unbalances the mind.
Propaganda and Deception
The narrator condemns the cheerful war propaganda and the callousness of those who speak of war as a sport or heroic game, masking the true suffering.
Postwar Disillusionment
The narrator's bitterness and hatred toward noncombatants reflect a deep disillusionment with the society that perpetuates war without understanding its horrors.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator observes shell-shock cases and reflects on the indifference of civilians and officials.
- The Boy
A young Wiltshire lad with apple-cheeked face and blue-gray eyes, suffering from severe shell-shock, shaking and slobbering.
- The British
The British noncombatants are criticized for their cheerful, callous spirit and easy optimism during the war.
Key passages
“Shell-shock was the worst thing to see. There were generals who said: 'There is no such thing as shell-shock. It is cowardice. I would court-martial in every case.'”
Witnessing shell-shock was the most distressing experience; some generals denied its existence, labeling it cowardice and advocating for court-martial.
Highlights the denial and stigma surrounding shell-shock among military leadership.
“It is not generally the slight, nervous men who suffer worst from shell-shock. It is often the stolid fellow, one of those we describe as being utterly without nerves, who goes down badly.”
Contrary to expectation, it is not the anxious men but the stoic, seemingly unflappable individuals who are most vulnerable to shell-shock.
Explains the paradoxical nature of shell-shock, affecting the most resilient soldiers.
“I hated to see them, turned my eyes away from them, and yet wished that they might be seen by bloody-minded men and women who, far behind the lines, still spoke of war lightly, as a kind of sport, or heroic game.”
The narrator felt revulsion at the sight of shell-shock victims but wanted those who trivialized war to witness their suffering.
Expresses the narrator's anger at the disconnect between front-line reality and home-front attitudes.