Metaphors and Similes

Church Towers (Simile)

And instead of church towers they have spires that thrust themselves
skywards like a child putting his hand up in class, longing to be noticed. But
God, if there is one, notices nothing here. He has long since abandoned this
place and all of us who live in it. There are not many steeples left now. I have
seen the one in Albert, hanging down like a broken promise (page 88).
As Tommo waits for dawn and his brother's execution, he thinks of the sights of home and
compares them to what he is seeing in France. French churches differ from English ones in
their use of spires, but Tommo's horrifying experiences in battle have long since removed his
ability to believe in God. He compares the spires of French churches to a child putting up his
or her hand, indicating that these churches are striving to be noticed. However, after the war,
they hang down like "broken promises," a perspective which exemplifies his current lack of
belief in God.

Drunken Ghosts (Simile)

Most of us, Charlie and me included, had never seen the sea before, much
less the heaving grey waves of the English Channel, and we lurched about
the deck like drunken ghosts longing only to be released from our agony
(page 114).
During the trip to France, the men become terribly seasick. They wander the decks aimlessly
in discomfort. They are compared to ghosts because they have lost their grip on reality, and
this simile may also foreshadow the fact that many of them later die in battle.

Charlie as Jesus (Simile)

All day long Charlie was lashed there in the rain, legs apart, arms spread-
eagled. As we marched past him, Charlie smiled at me. I tried to smile back,
but no smile came, only tears. He seemed to me like Jesus hanging on the
cross in the church back home in Iddesleigh (page 120).
The sight of Charlie lashed spread-eagled as punishment for standing up to their corrupt
commanding officer reminds Tommo of Jesus. Indeed, Charlie is shown to be a man of great
integrity whose sense of morality does not always line up with that of his superiors. This
simile turns into a broader symbol throughout the book: Charlie is repeatedly shown to be a
righteous man unjustly persecuted for his actions.
Camels at Oasis (Simile)
Captain Wilkes tells us there’s an estaminet there—that’s a sort of pub he
says, where you can drink the best beer outside England and eat the best egg
and chips in the entire world. He’s right. Pete, and Nipper, Little Les, Charlie
and me stuff ourselves on egg and chips and beer. We’re like camels filling
up at an oasis that we’ve discovered by accident and may never find again
(page 126).
Despite their horrible experiences in training and at war, the men are happy to find a place
where they can get delicious food. Like camels that have wandered through the desert and
now come upon fresh water, they fill up because they are not sure when they will encounter
such bounty again.

The Bee (Simile)

A bee, heavy with pollen and still greedy for more, clover-hopped in front of
me as I crawled. I remember I spoke to him. “We’re much alike, bee, you and
me,” I said. “You may carry your pack underneath you and your rifle may
stick out of your bottom. But you and me, bee, are much alike.” The bee
must have taken offense at this, because he took off and flew away (page
112).
Tommo compares himself to a bee, a rather gentle and hardworking insect that has a
dangerous weapon to defend itself. In many ways, Tommo is similar to this bee: he, too, grew
up in the countryside and learned to work hard, and now he will defend himself with a gun in
the same way that the bee defends itself with a stringer.
Private Peaceful Character List
Thomas "Tommo" Peaceful
Tommo is the young narrator and central character in the novel. Even when he is looking
back on his childhood, he is barely older than a child, being in his late teens during his
service in the war. As he narrates, he is an underage English soldier fighting in Etaples,
France, in World War One. He is scared and alone. Throughout his life, he has relied on his
older brother, Charlie, for guidance and protection, and this has not changed while they have
been in the same regiment together. He is troubled and distracted, becoming philosophical
and pondering the existence of heaven and the meaning of everything. He is homesick and
longs for the safety of his childhood.

Throughout his life, Tommo has been bullied, not only by other kids at school but also by
adults, including his army officers. Consequently, Tommo has realized early in his life that he
only has himself and Charlie to rely on. He originally enlisted in the army because an elderly
woman in the village called him a coward, but Tommo proves himself to be a good and brave
soldier. It appears that he has some kind of shell shock or PTSD as he is beginning to relive
the scenes of death in the trenches even when he is not actually there. When he is shot in the
trench, he feels as if he were dying and is actually relieved. Saving Tommo leads Charlie to
disobey an order and ultimately results in a death sentence for desertion. After he returns
home, Tommo takes Charlie's place as a father to his child and as a partner to Molly—
ironically, the girl he has loved since his childhood.
Charlie Peaceful
Charlie is Tommo's older brother and protector. As a child, he looked out for his brother; as a
soldier, he has done the same, but unfortunately, he is being to be executed by firing squad
for standing up against a dangerous order.

Charlie has a strong instinct to protect and preserve life, whether by hiding Bertha the dog
from the Colonel or by saving Captain Wilkes' life. Charlie is tough but sensitive and loyal to
his brother, although he is aware that having a relationship with Molly, whom Tommo loves,
will hurt him, hence the need for secrecy. Charlie is a good, courageous young man who
deserves much better than the fate handed down to him; despite being considered a coward
due to his crime of desertion, Charlie is, in fact, incredibly brave.
Molly
Molly is the novel's version of the girl next door. She and the Peaceful boys have grown up
together; she is a bit of a tomboy and does all the things that they do. Molly is thrown out of
the house by her strict, harsh parents when she tells them she is pregnant; as a result, she is
forced to grow up even more quickly. She eventually marries Charlie and has his child. Molly
asks Tommo to take care of Charlie when they go to France because she knows that, despite
the fact that Tommo is younger, he is also more careful and less likely to put himself in
danger.
Mrs. Peaceful
Mrs. Peaceful is the mother of the three Peaceful sons and fulfills the duties of this very
demanding job very well. With no time to mourn her husband's accidental death due to fear
of losing their cottage, she is forced to take a job that keeps her away from her children for
the majority of the day. She is unaware of Grandma Wolf's cruelty, and when she learns that
physical punishment used on her children, she speaks out on their behalf. She takes in Molly
after she is rejected by her own parents and becomes a surrogate mother to her as well. Mrs.
Peaceful is also shown to be remarkably clever, such as when she hands the Colonel a bunch
of money after Charlie steals his dog, Bertha.
Big Joe
Big Joe is chronologically the oldest of the Peaceful brothers, but he has the mind of a child
due to the case of meningitis he suffered as an infant. He is oversensitive and easily upset, as
shown by his choice to run away after the trauma of seeing Bertha brutally shot and killed; he
is unable to process emotions, and his only reaction is to run from them. Despite his
simplicity, he is also gentle, loyal, and loves animals. Tommo and Charlie adore him and help
their mother card for him.
Grandma Wolf / The Wolfwoman
Grandma Wolf is the great-aunt of the Peaceful children. She is supposed to care for the boys
whilst their mother is at work, but her idea of care involves physical punishment and cruel
bullying. She seems ready to side with anyone against the boys and seems to relish the idea of
corporal punishment. She dislikes all children, especially Tommo and Charlie, though she
tolerates Molly. It is eventually revealed that she was the Colonel's lover, and after the
Colonel's wife dies, Grandma Wolf unofficially takes over her position at the Colonel's estate.
Tommo nicknames her "the Wolfwoman," which alludes to her monstrous qualities.
The Colonel
The Colonel is the local land-owner and the most powerful man in their village. He is rather
insensitive and harsh: after Tommo's father dies, the Colonel tells them that they need to
leave the cottage because it is tied to their father's job. However, he eventually allows them to
stay after Mrs. Peaceful does an excellent job taking care of his dying wife. However, after
the death of his wife, the Colonel, encouraged by Grandma Wolf, becomes a crueler and
more brutal man. He circulates rumors that Charlie is a thief. He brutally murders his dog,
Bertha, despite Charlie's efforts to protect her. He is also abusive to Big Joe. He ultimately
appears as a cruel character that has the potential to be decent but chooses not to be.
Sergeant Hanley
Sergeant Hanley is the first commanding officer whom Charlie and Tommo meet when they
get to France. He is a bully who becomes even more blatantly cruel when he realizes that
Tommo is underage and defenseless. He is nicknamed "Horrible Hanley" by the men under
his command. He is responsible for some of the worst punishments that the soldiers endure,
and when Charlie argues with him about his actions, he writes Charlie up for insubordination
rather than realizing that he should not be bullying a young man in this way. Eventually, he
orders the men to undertake a suicidal charge, and when Charlie refuses this order, Hanley
has him executed for desertion.
Captain Wilkes
Wilkes was a choirmaster in his pre-war life and brings a sense of pastoral care and
understanding of how to shape young men to the army with him during his time as a captain.
He treats his men well and is both kind and considerate. Wilkes is shot in the no man's land
and Charlie carries him to safety, saving his life. Wilkes demonstrates his gratitude by
leaving Charlie his gold wristwatch when he is sent back to England to recuperate.
Anna
Anna is the daughter of the proprietor of the local pub in Etaples that the men frequent. She
and Tommo become friends and subsequently develop a relationship, but she is killed by a
stray German shell and they never get the chance to see what might have developed between
them