Characters

1. Characters • Thomas "Tommo" Peaceful • Charlie Peaceful • Joseph "Big Joe" Peaceful • Tommo, Charlie and Big Joe's Father (James Peaceful) • Tommo, Charlie and Big Joe's Mother (Sarah Peaceful) • Molly • Charlie and Molly's Baby Thomas"Tommo"Peaceful • Molly's mother • Molly's father • Sarah Peaceful's aunt (who Tommo and Charlie call "Grandma Wolf" and later "the Wolfwoman") • The Colonel • The Colonel's wife • MrMunnings • Miss McAllister • The doctor that deduced Big Joe would be "no use to anyone". • Jimmy Parsons • Jimmy Parsons' parents • The vicar • The vicar's wife • Farmer Cox • Lambert • Bertha the foxhound • The pilot who Tommo, Molly and Charlie met in the field • Nipper Martin • Peter "Pete" Bovey • Robert "Bob" James • Lester "Les" James • Sergeant "Horrible" Hanley • Old Lady who calls Tommo a coward • Captain Wilkes • Anna Sasin • MrSasin (Anna's father and the bar manager) • Lieutenant Buckland • Priest of Iddesleigh Church • German that the soldiers captured • The "kind and unknown Fritz" who spared Tommo's life

2. Main Characters • Mother Peaceful: A poor but proud woman who cares immensely about her three boys...a lady who has had many hardships but dealt with it all in her own unique way. She is loyal and protective of the boys despite their flaws. • Tommo Peaceful: The main character, and the youngest of the three brothers. The whole book is written from his memories and his ideas. You are looking through Tommo’s eyes throughout the whole book, watching him grow, love and suffer. He is slightly shy. He follows his brother, Charlie off to war. • Big Joe Peaceful: One of Tommo’s brothers, he is mentally damaged after having caught meningitis a few days after he was born. You see him as a loveable child even though he is the eldest; Tommo’s life revolves around him at home as what him and Charlie thought of people depended on how they treated their brother. His habit of singing oranges and lemons at the top of his voice would make the most stoic reader smile. He’s big, he’s gentle, he’s kind and more than anything he’s happy… • Charlie Peaceful: The middle child, but as far as the main plot goes he is treated as the eldest. I think Michael Morpurgo can describe him far better than I ever could so I’ll give you a quote from the book: ‘It’s Charlie who keeps us together, breaks up our squabbles…and jollies each of us along when we get downhearted. He’s become like a big brother to everyone. After Sergeant Hanley and the field punishment, and the way Charlie managed to smile through it all, there isn’t a man in the company who doesn’t look up to him. Being his real brother I could feel that I live in his shadow, but I never have and I do not now. I live in his glow.’ He is brave, loyal and is Tommy's role model

3. Molly: A close, childhood friend of Charlie and Tommo, Tommo loves her but so does Charlie…she gets chucked out of her house when she gets pregnant out of wedlock with Charlie’s child. They get married in a quick and hurried service. • The Colonel: A cruel, malicious man who doesn’t like the Peaceful family particularly not Big Joe. The boys didn’t make it better for themselves when they were caught poaching on his land, nor when Charlie nicked his old hunting dog…He is the rich man of the village and has a lot of power.Tommo’s father worked for him until he was killed in an accident, owner of the tied cottage and therefore able to exert influence on the lives of the Peaceful family • Grandma Wolf: Really the boys Great Aunt but they call her Grandma Wolf because of her nature and her appearance. She is ashamed to be part of the peaceful family. She is a cantankerous, vicious, sinister old woman. She does not appear very often, yet her character makes a stark impression. She appears important in their younger lives but they realise, as they get older, has no real power over their family. (‘storybook’ character) • Sergeant Hanley: A nasty, nasty, nasty piece of work. You grow to hate him, loathe him…he becomes the poison of the book…he treats both Charlie and Tommo in such a bad way…He is strict to the stage of harshness. Again Charlie doesn’t make life easy for himself though…he won’t play along with the Sergeants games…he isn’t scared of him and shows it. This is the reason that Sergeant ‘Horrible’ Hanley takes such a dislike to the Peaceful brothers. He is a cruel, brutal and vindictive officer. He does not treat his soldiers as human beings. He is Charlie's adversary and his antithesis. • MrMunnings: School teacher and precursor of Sergeant Hanley

4. ‘Don’t listen, Tommo. Don’t look. Don’t think. Only remember.’
This really is the story of a lad who does a lot of growing up in a very short amount of time….who has to go from being a 15 year old to being an adult quicker than most children have to…Has to go beyond childish dreams and fall head on into a very adult nightmare.
‘If I had a coin in my pocket, I’d turn it over and make a wish. When I was young I really believed in all those old tales. I wish I could still believe in them. But I mustn’t think like that. It’s no good wishing for the impossible. Don’t wish, Tommo. Remember. Remembrances are real.’
This really is a story of innocence and love, courage and cowardice…It just leaves it up to you to decide who is courageous and who is a coward.

5. Chapter Summary • 1. ‘FIVE PAST TEN’ • Tommo starts school. Tommo’s father dies. • 2. ‘TWENTY TO ELEVEN’ • Big Joe. Molly. Tommo’s Mother goes to work at the ‘Big House’. Grandma Wolf arrives. • 3. ‘NEARLY QUARTER PAST ELEVEN’ • Mice. Colonel’s wife dies. Mother out of work. Charlie, Tommo and Molly go poaching. Molly gets scarlet fever. • 4. ‘TEN TO MIDNIGHT’ • Tommo and Charlie get caught poaching. Their punishment is to clean out the Colonel’s kennels. Molly gets well. Charlie and Molly go to work at the ‘Big House’. Charlie steals Bertha the foxhound. • 5. ‘TWENTY-FOUR MINUTES PAST TWELVE’ • Charlie loses his job, gets new one with Farmer Cox. Tommo gives Molly letters from Charlie. Tommo goes to work for Farmer Cox. 1st mention of war. Molly’s mother forbids Charlie to see Molly. Bertha goes wandering and the Colonel shoots her. • 6. ‘NEARLY FIVE TO ONE’ • Bertha is buried. Big Joe goes missing and is found in the church tower. • 7. ‘TWENTY-EIGHT MINUTES PAST ONE’ • More news of the war. Molly pregnant, comes to stay. Charlie marries her. Tommo moves into Big Joe’s bedroom. Tommo sees marching soldiers. The Colonel decides that every able man on the estate should go off to war. Charlie has to go to war or they lose the cottage. Tommo decides to go with him. Charlie and Tommo join up and leave on a train.

6. 8. ‘FOURTEEN MINUTES PAST TWO’ • Charlie and Tommo arrive in Etaples, after being accepted at recruitment as twins. They meet up with ‘boys’ from school. Sergeant ‘Horrible’ Hanley picks on Charlie. Charlie gets punished for defending Tommo. • 9. ‘A MINUTE PAST THREE’ • Charlie and Tommo are sent to ‘the front’ with Captain ‘Wilkie’ Wilkes. They go to the ‘estaminet’ where Tommo meets a girl. Life in the trenches is described. Little Les and die on patrol. They take a German prisoner. Captain Wilkes wounded but rescued by Charlie. Charlie and Tommo visit him in hospital and Wilkes gives Charlie a watch. • 10. ‘TWENTY-FIVE PAST THREE’ • New Company Commander Lieutenant Buckland. Tommo and Charlie sent to Ypres. In the trenches. There is a bombardment. Lieutenant Buckland dies. Charlie goes missing, then returns injured and is taken to hospital. Charlie sent home. Tommo goes to the ‘estaminet’ to see Anna. Sergeant Hanley takes over the company. • 11. ‘NEARLY FOUR O’CLOCK’ • New recruits join the company. There is a gas attack. Tommo’s life is spared by a German. Nipper Martin dies. Tommo reads letters from home out to Pete. Tommo finds out that Anna is dead. Charlie rejoins the company. • 12. ‘FIVE TO FIVE’ • Tommo gets buried alive by a shell and receives head injuries but is rescued by Charlie. They get stuck in no-man’s land. Hanley orders them to continue the attack but Charlie refuses. Hanley threatens a court martial. The others go and are killed, all except Hanley. Charlie gives Tommo the watch and makes him promise to look after Molly. Charlie is arrested and court martialled. Tommo visits Charlie. Charlie tells Tommo about the ‘trial’ and asks him to make sure that everyone knows the truth. News that Sergeant Hanley has been killed. Tommo goes to sit by himself in a barn. • 13. ‘ONE MINUTE TO SIX’ • In the barn Tommo thinks about what is happening to Charlie. Tommo goes to collect his belongings and visit his grave. Other soldiers pay their respects. Tommo sent to the Somme.

7. Action-adjective(describes noun) • Courage is what makes someone capable of facing extreme danger and difficulty without retreating even though they may be frightened, pained or grieved. ( the courage to confront the enemy head-on). It implies not only bravery and a dauntless spirit but the ability to endure in times of adversity ( a mother's courage in the face of her loss). • Brave to face smt-noun (person, place,thing) • Bravery is being ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage: a brave soldier | he put up a brave fight before losing.

8. Intro Private Peaceful is a story set in 1914 before and during the First World War, written by Michael Morpurgo. The story follows the life of two brothers who have to fight in the war together and the problems they face along the way. Throughout the book it shows different, occurring themes of bravery and cowardice.

9. Examples of Bravery At the beginning of Private Peaceful, the author discusses the theme of courage when one of the brothers called Tommo, has to start school. In the book, Tommo says "I dread what I'm going to...'. This quote shows that Tommo is a really nervous character at the beginning of the novel. One of Tommo's biggest fears at his new school is one of the teachers called MrMunnings. Charlie - Tommo's elder brother, helps Tommo and stands up to MrMunnings to protect him. We see a brave side to Tommo when he grows up and decides to join the army with Charlie. Tommo says, "I was going to fight in the war with Charlie" he also says, "I have to prove myself, I have to prove myself to myself". These quotes tells us that he is trying to prove to himself that he can be courageous. Throughout the novel, Charlie displays courage as he protects his younger brother from bullies and corporal punishment.

10. Examples of Cowardice Towards the end of the book, due to extenuating circumstances, Charlie cowardly disobeys an order from his superior. He did not want to “press home the attack and then hold our ground” like his sergeant said. Instead, he said “their machine guns’ll just mow us down” and did not go but stayed with the wounded Tommo. Charlie is then given a trial during his court-martial hearing. As a result of the court-martial, Charlie is found guilty of cowardice and executed by his own countrymen.

11. Counter-argument • Charlie disobeyed a direct order from his sergeant-major, but he did so in order to protect his comrade, Tommy. Furthermore, Charlie was not given a chance to present his side of the story. Ultimately, the negligence of the chain-of-command resulted in the death of an innocent soldier. His act of ‘cowardice’ is actually bravery in disguise. He was the only one that stood up to cruel, brutal and vindictive Sergeant Hanley. The reasons were to remain with his injured brother, whom he would not leave behind in no man’s land. Furthermore, Charlie felt that by following his orders, he and his company would be shot by the Germans with their machine guns. He then suggested to wait till it was dark to get out of the old German dugouts.

12. Signs of Bravery-Charlie is quite a brave and courageous character throughout the book. Near the end, Charlie's bravery really pays off, and saves Tommo's life. For example, near the end of the book, Charlie stands up to Sergeant Hanley and refuses to leave the bunker because Tommo is badly wounded. Charlie knows that if he leaves the bunker he will get shot by the Germans surrounding it. Hanley even told Charlie that if he didn't obey, he would be put before a firing squad, but Charlie still didn't obey him and said, "I'm not leaving him. I'll be staying with him. "This shows how brave Charlie is and how much he cares about Tommo because he is willing to give up his life for him.

13. Cowardice-Pg 139-143 • I have stood with the others. I have not run. • “Y’ain’t a coward, are you?” No old woman, I am not, I am not. • Analysis of Charlie (character and changes) courageous and sign of bravery. Throughout novel, even during school, always shown bravery. Even brave. • Interaction between C n Sergeant • Contrast Bravery and Cowardice, Hanley bullies Charlie, Charlie stands up to him • Counter-argument: During the time when he stood up to Sergeant ,in the army, it was depicted as a sign of cowardice. Charlie is actually showing bravery instead of cowardice. However, if you dwell deeper, he is actually trying to protect bro + save more lives. • Conclusion

14. Stoic-Somebody who is devoid of all emotion Vindictive: having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge : the criticism was both vindictive and personalized. Cantankerous: bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative : a crusty, cantankerous old man. •Stark: unpleasantly or sharply clear; impossible to avoid : his position on civil rights is in stark contrast to that of his liberal opponent | the stark reality of life for deprived minorities. Adversary: one's opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute : Davis beat his old adversary in the quarterfinals. Antithesis: a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else : love is the antithesis of selfishness. Precursor: a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner : a three-stringed precursor of the violin | [as adj. ] precursor cells. Extenuating: To make a mistake or wrongdoing seem less serious than it first appeared, e.g. by providing a mitigating excuse for it (partly excusing crime)