Chapter summaries In Memoriam Alice Winn

In Memoriam Chapter 31: Escape to Amsterdam and News of the Somme

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Gaunt and Pritchard cross into the Netherlands and reach the town of Overdinkel. A Dutch couple gives them food but insists on handing them to the Frontier Guard. After a night in a police station, they wash and shave. The guard tries to take them to a holding centre in Hengelo, but Gaunt and Pritchard manipulate the situation, first pretending to agree then insisting on going to Amsterdam. Pritchard steals a train timetable, and Gaunt calls the British Embassy, speaking with Mr. Roseveare, father of their fallen friend Martin. After a tense negotiation with Dutch authorities, a major allows them to proceed to Amsterdam. On the train, they share champagne and sandwiches, avoiding discussion of Gideon Ellwood. Mr. Roseveare meets them in Amsterdam, informs them of the catastrophic opening of the Somme—60,000 British casualties on the first day—and reveals that his sons Martin and Clarence have been killed. Gaunt and Pritchard decide to postpone checking the newspapers for Ellwood's name until the next day's boat to England. They are installed in a grand hotel.

Key Events

  • Gaunt and Pritchard arrive in the Dutch town of Overdinkel and are fed by a local couple.
  • The Dutchman insists on turning them over to the Frontier Guard; they spend the night in a police station.
  • The next morning they wash and shave, though their clothes remain torn and muddy.
  • The guard attempts to escort them to a holding centre in Hengelo; Gaunt and Pritchard pretend to agree but at the station demand to go to Amsterdam.
  • Pritchard steals a train timetable and Gaunt calls the British Embassy, eventually securing permission from a Dutch major to travel directly to Amsterdam.
  • On the train they buy champagne and sandwiches; Gaunt wishes Gideon were with them.
  • Mr. Roseveare meets them at the station and tells them about 60,000 British casualties on the first day of the Somme.
  • Mr. Roseveare breaks down when Pritchard asks about his sons; Martin and Clarence are dead, Cyril missing.
  • Gaunt and Pritchard agree not to check the newspapers yet, dreading news of Ellwood.
  • They are taken to a luxury hotel and given tickets for the boat to England.

Character Development

  • Gaunt shows both strategic cunning and emotional vulnerability: he negotiates firmly with Dutch authorities but later admits he fears checking the Honour Roll more than facing machine guns. His relief at safety is immediately undercut by dread for Ellwood.
  • Pritchard reveals a more sensitive side, stealing the timetable and gently guiding Gaunt away from political rants. His giggling under stress and his concern for Gaunt's feelings deepen his character.
  • Mr. Roseveare embodies the war's reach beyond the front lines: an elegant diplomat shattered by the loss of his sons, clinging to the old rhetoric of "Dulce et decorum est." Gaunt chooses not to disillusion him, showing a new restraint.
  • Gideon Ellwood is absent but omnipresent—his fate hangs over every conversation, and both men actively delay confronting the possibility of his death.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Disillusionment vs. Patriotism: Mr. Roseveare's recitation of the "Dulce et decorum est" motto clashes with the horrific reality of the Somme casualties. Gaunt's silent refusal to argue marks a shift from earlier ranting toward a more protective, weary form of awareness.
  • Class and Privilege: The escape succeeds partly because of Gaunt's and Pritchard's social connections—the Roseveare name and embassy access. Gaunt contrasts this with Hayes, a junior officer who would have been sent to the holding centre with no help. The episode highlights how wealth and schooling shape survival.
  • Grief and Denial: Both Gaunt and Pritchard consciously postpone looking for Ellwood's name. The chapter ends with them deliberately not thinking "until tomorrow," a fragile coping mechanism that underscores their fear of loss.
  • The Bath as Restoration: Pritchard's excitement over a real bath symbolizes the return to civilisation after the brutalities of escape. Yet the bath cannot wash away the looming news of the Somme.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 31 completes the escape arc and immediately pivots to the larger catastrophe of the Somme, connecting the personal survival of Gaunt and Pritchard with the scale of national loss. It introduces a new civilian casualty of war—Mr. Roseveare—and shows how grief spreads beyond the battlefield. The chapter also deepens Gaunt's growth from a cantankerous escapee into someone who withholds his bitterness to spare another man's feelings. Most importantly, it raises the central tension: Will Ellwood be alive when they open the newspaper? This cliffhanger drives the reader into the next chapter.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How do Gaunt and Pritchard persuade the Dutch guard to let them go to Amsterdam instead of the holding centre in Hengelo?
Gaunt initially agrees to go to Hengelo but at the train station insists on calling the British Embassy. After escalating through several guards on the phone, he reaches a major who grants permission for them to travel directly to Amsterdam. Gaunt then has the major confirm this to the guard, leaving the guard no choice but to comply.

2. What news does Mr. Roseveare share with Gaunt and Pritchard, and how do they react?
He tells them that the first day of the Battle of the Somme resulted in approximately 60,000 British casualties, calling it the biggest military disaster in British history. Gaunt and Pritchard are struck silent; Pritchard then asks about Mr. Roseveare's sons, learning that Martin and Clarence have been killed and Cyril is missing. Gaunt feels his own dread for Ellwood intensify.

3. Why do Gaunt and Pritchard decide not to look at the newspapers immediately?
They cannot bear to see Ellwood's name on the Honour Roll. They agree to postpone checking until the next day, on the boat to England, as a way of delaying the potential grief and preserving the fragile hope of their escape.

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