Trotter Flashcards
role?
-he’s a sort of comic relief
-the soldier who brings humour into a dark setting.
-middle class and chubby, not our typical hero
-used to represent all the soldiers in war who’s pain can be dismissed easily in war
-also has a sense of nobility despite first encounters such as when Osborne dies
-likeable because of all of this
coping mechanism
initially it seems as if trotter is unaffected by the war but his weight and indulgence in food indicates that he overeats-an effect due to the stress of war. the fact that food is necessary for survival and he indulges in it mirrors the war as coping mechanisms-need to cling onto something
coping mechanism quote
-‘taking a melodious sip’ (pg 24) as he drinks a yellow soup. adverb melodious connotates a musical and rhythmic atmosphere that clashes with the constant waiting and repetition in war thus showing his need for food
-‘Trotter sips his tea and Stanhope takes a whisky’(pg 82) tea, a harmless, sophisticated drink use of pronoun kind of shows his personality becomes the food he eats and as on the same sentence as stanhope takes a whisky, it indicates his coping mechanism is that too. also tea is quote sweet, whisky is quite bitter representing how trotter prefers to indulge in the sweet good things as a coping mechanism ie his overly cheery attitude
-‘he stretches himself and tries to button his tunic’ (pg 39) after he is talking about his garden. stretching himself means he is overexerting himself ie becoming bigger
-‘war without peppers it’s-it’s bloody awful’ (pg 25) peppers normally connotate hot, danger connotations war is never unaccompanied with unnatural hot waters also bloody connotates the effect of war demonstrating physically how he’s immersed/surronded by all these horrors and can’t cope
-‘I don’t know-I whistle sometimes’ (pg 82) whistling represents quiter than singing as Stanhope says, he is suffering, just hides it as they all do-the unsung tune of the lots of soldiers who’s pain weren’t heard.
The big attack soon, I reckon. I don’t like it, Uncle. Pass the jam.’ juxtaposition of him talking about something serious right to food links to survival and how he needs something sweet to make him forget about it. Jam is also red like blood, relation to death and how no matter what they do, its inevitable. also rapid pace, lots of words and long and then short sentences represent unknown war therefore why he relies on food-reliable-always knows he’ll get it
-‘‘That looks like strawberry jam?
Hush, hush, my dear; ‘tis only Pa
Run over by a tram’ grim nursery rhyme contrasts with Osborne Alice in wonderland. grimmer normally than he uses-dark humour-ref to food with strawberry jam indicating he is aware of all death. also saying it next to Osborne who is a father. tram represents fast contrast with slow moving war almost mocking
home life contrast
-we can see how they suffer and reminisce on home, showing what their giving up but also parts of themselves too.
home life quotes link to futility
-‘geraniums, lobelia, and calceolaria-you know, red, white, and blue. Looked rather nice in the summer’ (pg 39) Union Jack colours represent the reason they are all here patriotism but also propaganda and looked nice in summer shows how war seems great at first, but standards are not.
-‘If you ask me, I’d rather ‘ave a decent picture of Margate Pier’ (pg 79) as they have migynositc talkings about women. margate pier is destroyed now, linking to how everything is. temporary in life and out and they miss a lot. also nostalgic about the sea and nature, the natural things war destorys
-‘She wrote and asked if I’ve got fleas’ (pg 64) his wife asking that represents the distance between them-he is dehumanised-an animal-due to war, demonstrating and emphasising its change on relationships and though its funny suggests it’ll be a adjustment if he ever makes it back-dirty almost
futility nobility and waiting
trotter being an unconventional war character makes war even seem sillier-as if what’s the point-but his attitude makes him not just likeable but emphasises the silly sacrifices almost of millions just like him
futility nobility and waiting quotes
‘I’m going to draw a hundred and forty-four little circles on a bit of paper’ (ac t 1) its funny and stupid and also a coping mehcnaism-trying to control Time which is even sillier but also represents how time controlled them and all they did in war was waiting-silly. circle adds to tis eternity figure
-‘his face is red, fat and round; apparently he has put on weight during his war service’ (pg 22) almost comical, contrast to stanhope as they enter at the same time the hero we’ve been hearing about. red and fat contrasts with Stanhope’s tall and slim not only making him more hero like but making trotter look even smaller. red connotates laughing a lot or hot unfit as if a joke-changes stereotype of a hero
-‘Righto, skipper. (He pauses). Thanks. (He goes towards the door. I won’t let you down.’(pg 83) short sentences, sincerity, he means it, noble we like him for it. he is much more than originally thought.
