In Memoriam

“‘I’m sorry, I know it makes you uncomfortable when I talk about him,’ [Ellwood said]. It did. From everything Ellwood told Gaunt about Maitland, and from what Gaunt could see for himself, Maitland was only a step removed from a Renaissance prince. He was handsome and talented and brilliant, and yet Ellwood didn’t want him.”

Winn often uses the limited third-person point of view to convey dramatic irony—where the reader knows something that the characters do not. Here, Ellwood recognizes that discussing Maitland upsets Gaunt and apologizes for it but doesn’t understand why. Conversely, Gaunt thinks of how Ellwood is not romantically interested in Maitland—a thought that shocks him. However, each character fails to realize the truth: that their secret love for each other is the reason for both circumstances.

“Your father’s under scrutiny at the bank because of it […] You must enlist, Heinrich. If we have a son in the army, no one will dare say we are not patriotic.”

Gaunt’s mother’s words introduce the theme of Personal Desire Versus Societal Expectation, as she tries to convince him to join the war to dispel rumors that their family sides with Germany due to their heritage. The lines convey his mother’s—and the general public’s—lack of understanding of the war: She is willing to sacrifice her son to its horrors just to feel less embarrassed in public.

“But Ellwood knew from experience how easy it was to convince himself that Gaunt was secretly pining for him, and it was a theory that didn’t hold up. There had been too many missed opportunities. Too many moments when Ellwood had almost told him, and Gaunt had made some remark about women and marriage.”

Gaunt’s actions over the years cause confusion in Ellwood, as he searches for moments where he believes that Gaunt has the same affection for him, only to convince himself that it cannot be true. However, this instance of dramatic irony conveys the theme of Societal Stigma Toward Gay Relationships. Rather than not feeling the same, Gaunt instead recognizes the dangers of a gay relationship, afraid that Ellwood does not feel the same or that others will find out. Instead, he changes the subject to what society expects to cover his feelings: marriage.

“‘It’ll sort itself out once you’re at the front together,’ said Pritchard. ‘Of course, you’re right,’ said Ellwood. ‘It’ll be much easier, then.’”

Ironically, as Ellwood struggles over his feelings for Gaunt and wonders why Gaunt joined the army to get away from him, he believes that things will be “easier” once they are at war together. This shows his ignorance at the start of the novel and his true lack of understanding of war, as things get significantly harder with the war raging around them.

“Do you suppose the Romantic poets would have had anything to write about if it hadn’t been for the Napoleonic Wars? I can’t tell you how glad I am to be alive and young when we are. A war is what we needed: an injection of passion into a century of peace.”

In his letters to Gaunt while still at Preshute, Ellwood conveys his lack of understanding of what war truly is, as his only frame of reference is war literature that glorifies it. This Ellwood stands in stark contrast to the one later in the text, who becomes disenchanted with poetry, literature, and the ignorant way that it describes war.

“Perhaps I would rather Ellwood have played at loving me, if only for a few weeks, than never to have had anything at all. (Ellwood would tell me there’s a Tennyson quotation for that.) There’s an empty space in my mind where those memories might have been.”

These words, in a letter to Sandys from Gaunt, are an allusion to Tennyson’s poem from which the novel draws its title: In Memoriam by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The lines that Gaunt is looking for from the poem are “’Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all.” This allusion conveys Gaunt’s internal feelings as he is at the front line, facing death in the war. He regrets never having had a relationship with Ellwood, even a physical one, because the memories would help sustain him while he’s at war.

“Gaunt rapped his knuckles on the door frame. ‘Fine. But we’re not. Friends. I’m not going to be writing you letters when you leave school, or anything like that.’ ‘I don’t want your letters, idiot.’”

This conversation between Gaunt and Sandys, a flashback to when they had a physical relationship in school, is an example of irony. Winn alternates between the present and their time together at school, showing the physical relationship that they used to have and the one that they now have at war. Ironically, the very thing that Gaunt said he would never do—write letters—he now does regularly, even admitting to Sandys that he is the only one to whom he feels he can write about war truthfully.

“Archie Pritchard told me. See, Caruthers had written some rather compromising letters, and one was picked up by a superior officer. The day that Caruthers went over the top with such gallant bravery, he knew he was about to be summoned to Headquarters. Court-martial and disgrace, or a Military Cross for his grieving family. Not much of a choice.”

Maitland explains to Gaunt what really happened to Caruthers: His sexual relationship with Sandys was discovered through their letters, and since he was going to be court-martialed, he chose to die in battle instead. Caruthers’s difficult choice conveys the theme of Societal Stigma Toward Gay Relationships. Simply for writing “compromising” letters, Caruthers was going to be dismissed from the military and publicly shamed. Rather than be seen as gay, Caruthers chose death.

“I have tried to keep things from you, Elly, you are so fresh and so clean, and I did not want to be the one to open your eyes, but I must write, I must describe, I must tell you.”

The use of the word “must” conveys how truly affected Gaunt is by the war. Despite his earlier letters, where he kept discussions directed at school and Ellwood’s life, he is now so consumed by The Impact of War that he feels as though he needs to talk about it to relieve some of the pressure. Additionally, these words show how much Gaunt cares for Ellwood: He tries to allow Ellwood’s ignorance of war to continue so that he can remain pure and removed from its horrors.

“Ellwood let his head drop towards him. They paused, a hair’s breadth between their lips. It was strange how this seemed the point of no return, after what Ellwood had just done. For a moment, Ellwood was certain Gaunt would pull back, pretend none of it had happened.”

After Ellwood and Gaunt have their first sexual contact, there is still hesitation at the point of kissing—a moment that Ellwood finds “strange” after they have just gone beyond that point. However, this moment shows the emotional intimacy that the two men share, which is much more than the merely physical contact that they have already experienced with other boys. To kiss is to go against the Societal Stigma Toward Gay Relationships, as a genuine emotional attachment will not be excused by society the same way a purely physical fling could be.

“But occasionally, his eyes met Ellwood’s, and something in his face softened. It was reassuring to know that there was some connection still between the two Gaunts. Ellwood worried that if it were ever severed, Gaunt would remain the harsh, blank-eyed man he was in the trenches, long after the War had ended.”

Since all their first moments together in the village are told from Ellwood’s point of view, it is ambiguous how Gaunt feels about their sexual relationship or how he is handling the return to the trenches. However, Ellwood’s analysis conveys the idea that Gaunt is deeply affected by the war, with Ellwood able to see two separate Gaunts—one who is with him privately and one who is consumed by the war. The words also show Ellwood’s relative ignorance, as he has still not yet understood how consuming war can be.

“Ellwood physically pulled back. It was true, he realised, what he had said in the woods: he always did as Gaunt told him. Ever since he was thirteen, when Gaunt found him crying under a desk and said ‘Don’t let them see you.’ When Gaunt told him to be quiet, he was. When he told him to leave him alone, he did. The only time he hadn’t was when he enlisted, despite Gaunt’s furious letter telling him not to. Except that had been a form of obedience, too, thought Ellwood—to a pre-existing command.”

Ellwood’s thoughts give insight into both the character of Ellwood and his relationship to Gaunt. Ellwood feels as though he has always done what Gaunt wanted—including joining the war because the “pre-existing command” was for Gaunt to see Ellwood one last time. However, he has been willing to do so because of his love for Gaunt. These thoughts are key in the final moment of the novel, when Gaunt agrees to stay in Brazil, thereby letting Ellwood make a decision for them both.

“‘He’s a revolting little snake. He’s probably never seen a dead body.’ An agonising laugh broke out of Gaunt. ‘Oh, God, Elly, is that how we judge men now?’”

Ellwood complains about Burgoyne, commenting on the fact that he has never been in battle and therefore never seen anyone die. This idea shows his continued ignorance, as he still believes that fighting in a war and killing is what makes one strong or brave. Gaunt’s “laugh” and response challenge the stereotypical idea of “manhood” that Ellwood holds—like much of society, he has seen how damaging war can be.

“Gaunt wished the War had been what Ellwood wanted it to be. He wished they could have ridden across a battlefield on horseback, brandishing a sword alongside their gallant king.”

Gaunt’s thoughts are an allusion to the poetry that Ellwood so often recited back at school, used to promote the idea of war and its “gallantry.” However, Gaunt has already become disillusioned by this idea and fears that the same is happening to Ellwood. He realizes the horror that is war, rather than the idea that is created through poetry and British literature.

“Ellwood and the German boy arrived at the château. Ellwood had walked in a state of total blankness, unaware of anything but the slight pinching of his boots. An orderly led them to an elegant sitting room, where the colonel sat with half a dozen men, smoking cigars and drinking port.”

The juxtaposition between the life that Ellwood is living as a soldier—dirty, diseased, and facing the horrors of the war—and the men who are in charge of the war—sitting in safety, smoking, and drinking—further emphasizes the tragic nature of their situation. While young boys like Ellwood and Gaunt risk their lives in squalor, the ones in charge sit in comfort and are either ignorant or indifferent to the horrors of it.

“How alive it all seemed, and how gracious—to die in an era when your death bought you a brief moment at the centre of something. To be important, rather than one of millions.”

Ellwood’s conversation with Roseveare in the Preshute cemetery shows The Impact of War, as well as the change that is occurring within Ellwood. Looking at the gravestones, Ellwood realizes how death used to be treated: with a funeral and respect to each person that died. Now, however, with millions dying at war, their bodies are often left to rot and never treated with respect or given the burial they deserve. Ellwood’s acknowledgement of this shows that, in his grief, he is beginning to understand how unjust the war really is.

“Ellwood returned to the front brimming with a sort of hard, wretched joy. England was filthy with ignorance, and the trenches were clean by comparison.”

After his leave, Ellwood is glad to return to the trenches, but not out of the joy and excitement he once had. Rather, he is realizing how truly ignorant those outside the war are, just as he once was. The use of the words “filthy” and “clean” is ironic; obviously, the trenches are filthier in the traditional sense, but Ellwood’s disillusionment is making him realize that England is “filthier” in its dishonest portrayal of the war and society’s lack of understanding of how horrific it really is.

“[Pfahler] and Gaunt stared at each other for hours on end, blinking messages. They hardly spoke the first week, except to explain a new code. It was an intimacy born of pain.”

Despite the war occurring between their two countries, Gaunt and a German soldier spend days together in the infirmary, communicating through code, in order to endure the pain that they are suffering. Pfahler represents Gaunt’s humanity and the importance he places on human relationships, rather than on the wars that their leaders decide to fight.

“If love was stepping off a cliff in the hope of flying, there was a wall at the precipice that had never been there with Sandys, or Ellwood […] He felt no fear around Elisabeth, because there was no chance of falling.”

This metaphor—comparing the risk that comes with loving someone to the risk that comes with jumping from a cliff—conveys how deeply Gaunt cares about Ellwood while also showing his sexuality. He could never love a woman as society expects, as he does not get the same feeling of risk and exhilaration that he gets with other men.

“Gaunt found it rather touching that Devi wasn’t suspicious of physical contact with him. But then, if what Devi said was true, he had always known Gaunt was homosexual, and never treated him differently.”

Gaunt’s thoughts when Devi sits next to him in solitary to keep himself warm convey the theme of Societal Stigma Toward Gay Relationships. He is “suspicious” of the fact that Devi would not be disgusted by him, showing just how much Gaunt has internalized society’s view of his sexuality. Additionally, the pause emphasized through diction with the words “but then” shows how Gaunt still struggles to believe what Devi says is true. He has a hard time grasping that someone could know of his sexuality and still want to be near him due to the extreme disgust with which society views gay relationships.

“Few Englishmen have had the opportunity to heap so much honour upon themselves at so low cost. March with your heads held high into victory, for yourselves, for your king, and for the Empire!”

The colonel’s speech to Ellwood and the other soldiers before the Battle of the Somme emphasizes a recurring element throughout the text: the commanding officer’s ignorance or simple inconsiderateness of the soldiers that he is sacrificing for the war. Ironically, the colonel preaches that the cost is “low” to win—yet they are sacrificing their bodies, their mental health, and their lives.

“Gaunt reached out and touched the Military Cross ribbon sewn to the front of his pyjamas. Ellwood stiffened, relaxing only when Gaunt withdrew his hand […] ‘They’re giving these out to anyone who sneezes at the Germans now,’ said Ellwood. ‘Doesn’t mean a thing.’”

Ellwood’s anger and his disdain for his medals that he received in war for saving the lives of six people show how much he has changed throughout the novel. At the start, he was excited to go to war and earn the valor and pride that comes with it. Now, however, disfigured and in the hospital among civilians he loathes, he holds only bitterness for the very thing he so deeply wanted before.

“Ellwood knew there was a quotation for this particular, painful speechlessness, but it did not come to him. All his words were gone […] There was a quotation for scars, too. Ellwood groped blindly for it in his mind, but found nothing.”

When Ellwood and Gaunt have sex for the first time in two years, Ellwood finds himself unable to express how he feels. His normal form of communication—poetry—has abandoned him, replaced instead by anger toward poets and their false glorification of war. His inability to even remember the words convey The Impact of War, as Ellwood has been broken and disenchanted by what has happened to him.