Regeneration: Power and Control

Ship and Ribbon

“It wasn’t heavy enough to sink, so it just – a glint of amusement – bobbed around. There was a ship sailing past, quite a long way out, in the estuary, and I looked at this little scrap of ribbon floating and I looked at the ship, and I thought that me trying to stop the war was a bit like trying to stop the ship would have been.” - Sassoon (pg 21)

Empire - Mr Prior

“I told him, time enough to do summat for the Empire when the Empire’s done summat for you.” - Mr Prior (pg 76)

Eyes freed from the ache of khaki - Prior

“It was worth it, though, just to sit quietly, to listen to voices that didn’t stammer, to have his eyes freed from the ache of khaki.” - Prior (pg 118)

Flung down his scythe

“The other flung down his scythe and did the same. Work went more quickly now.” - Rivers (pg 133)

King’s regulations

“King’s regulations. No officer must appear in public with any garment missing." - Rivers (pg 134)

Edinburgh worthies

“He passed portraits of Edinburgh worthies of the past, men with white beards and wing collars, whose gold watch-chains and fobs nestled on swelling abdomens.”” - Sassoon (pg 153)

Nations most popular hymn

“Since the Somme, this seemed to have become the nation’s most popular hymn.” - Rivers (pg 199)

if the country demanded that price

“If the country demanded that price, then it should bloody well be prepared to look at the result.” - Sarah (pg 215)

Spiritual development

“Friend of mine, Ralph Greaves. He’s . . . Is! Was a good pianist. He’s just had one arm amputated, and the other’s almost useless. Do you know what Fothergill said? ‘It will assist his spiritual development.’” - Sassoon (pg 250)

Reinforced Rivers’ view

“This reinforced Rivers’s view that it was prolonged strain, immobility and helplessness that did the damage, and not the sudden shock or bizarre horrors that the patients themselves were inclined to point to as the explanation of their condition.” - Rivers (pg 297)

Patient did not intend to ask that question

“I realize you did not intend to ask that question and so I will overlook it. I am sure you understand the principles of the treatment, which are. . . He paused, as if expecting the patient to supply them. Attention, first and foremost; tongue, last and least; questions, never. I shall see you this afternoon.” - Yealland (pg 302)

Buisness of controlling people

“Obviously he and Yaelland were both in the business of controlling people. Each of them fitted young men back into the role of warrior, a role they had – however unconsciously – rejected.” - Rivers (pg 318)

In war nobody is a free agent

“But then in war nobody is a free agent. He and Yaelland were both locked in, every bit as much as their patients were.” - Rivers (pg 318-319)

Silencing of a human being

“Rivers had felt that he was witnessing the silencing of a human being.” - Rivers (pg 319)

Great white God dethroned

“It was . . . the Great White God de-throned, I suppose. Because we did, we quite unselfconsciously assumed we were the measure of all things.” - Rivers (pg 324)