Chapter Thirty-seven Summary & Analysis: Gaunt’s Return
⚠️ 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
In a hospital bed recovering from his own wounds, Ellwood is confronted by Gaunt, whom he saw shot through the chest weeks earlier. Gaunt explains that a German soldier—mistaken for his cousin Ernst—got him to a field hospital in time. After the battle he was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp, where he shared a dormitory with Gideon Devi; the two escaped together, but Devi may have been shot during the flight. Ellwood’s initial disbelief gives way to a bitter rage. He tells Gaunt that Hayes is in critical condition with a pulverised hip and that Maurice Lantham was executed by firing squad for refusing to go over the top on July 1—a story Ellwood later lied about to Lantham’s mother. The reunion grows tense when Ellwood unwraps the bandages covering his mutilated face and forces Gaunt to look. Gaunt, after a horrified silence, reveals that he failed his medical discharge because a German surgeon mishandled his chest wound and he disobeyed orders to rest. He will not return to the front. Ellwood confesses his guilt for surviving and his relief at being away from the war, feelings Gaunt says he shares. The chapter ends with Ellwood inviting Gaunt to his family home, Thornycroft, and asking him not to leave.
Key Events
- Gaunt appears alive in Ellwood’s hospital room, having survived a bullet wound thanks to a German field hospital.
- Gaunt recounts his time in a prisoner-of-war camp with Gideon Devi and their subsequent escape.
- Ellwood learns that Hayes is gravely wounded and that Lantham was executed by firing squad.
- Ellwood unwraps his facial bandages and forces Gaunt to see his disfigurement, testing his reaction.
- Gaunt reveals he failed his medical because of a botched surgery and a refusal to rest, meaning he will not return to combat.
- Ellwood admits his shell shock and his shame at feeling relieved to be away from the trenches.
- The two men agree to meet at Thornycroft, and Ellwood asks Gaunt to stay.
Character Development
- Ellwood: His emotional state is volatile—alternating between fury, anguish, and brittle humour. He uses sarcasm and self-destructive provocation (showing his wounds) to push Gaunt away, yet he desperately craves Gaunt’s presence. The guilt of surviving while friends die deepens his trauma, and he begins to acknowledge his shell shock, though he dismisses the diagnosis.
- Gaunt: Calm and persistent, Gaunt endures Ellwood’s anger without withdrawing. His revelation that he also feels shame for being glad to leave the war suggests a shared vulnerability. Gaunt’s horror at Ellwood’s face is momentary, and he quickly recovers, demonstrating that his affection is not skin-deep.
- Gaunt and Ellwood’s relationship: The reunion breaks the silence between them. Gaunt explicitly states he was never closer to Devi than to Ellwood, a confession that alters their dynamic. Ellwood’s rage masks a fear that Gaunt will recoil from his changed appearance.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Actually Evidenced Here
- Survivor’s guilt and double consciousness: Ellwood feels both “unspeakably glad” to be out of the war and disgusted with himself for that relief. Gaunt admits to the same contradiction, framing survival as a shameful gift.
- Disfigurement as a test of love: Ellwood’s deliberate exposure of his ruined face is a challenge: will Gaunt still desire him? Gaunt’s initial horror is followed by steady acceptance, aligning with the novel’s exploration of love that persists through physical and psychological damage.
- The impossibility of escape: Even in the hospital, memories of dead friends and the ongoing war intrude. Ellwood’s mind keeps returning to Pritchard’s fragmented remains and the execution of Lantham.
- Letters and communication: Thorburn’s letter is a cold conduit for devastating news. Ellwood’s compulsive scribbling—destroying his notebook page—mirrors his inability to process grief through language.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks the first moment of potential recovery for both protagonists. Gaunt’s return and his failed medical offer a rare exit from the war. Ellwood’s invitation to Thornycroft signals a tentative step toward a future together, away from the front. The chapter also crystallises Ellwood’s psychological wounds: his shell shock, his guilt, and his fear that he is no longer worthy of love. By having Gaunt acknowledge his own shame, the chapter suggests that true intimacy requires shared vulnerability.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Ellwood force Gaunt to look at his disfigured face?
Ellwood is testing whether Gaunt can still love him now that he is physically changed. He has been told his face is “hideous” and fears Gaunt will recoil. By making Gaunt witness the damage, Ellwood seeks to know the worst—and perhaps to push Gaunt away before Gaunt can reject him.
2. What does Gaunt’s confession about feeling “giddy with joy” when he failed his medical reveal about his character?
It reveals that Gaunt shares Ellwood’s burden of survivor’s guilt. He, too, feels ashamed of wanting to live. The confession bridges the emotional gap between them and shows that Gaunt is not the stoic hero Ellwood imagines; he is equally traumatised and relieved to be out of danger.
3. Why does the author include the detail of Ellwood’s broken pen leaking ink like a bayonet blade?
The simile ties the act of writing—a form Ellwood uses to control his story—to the violence of war. The “ink like a bayonet blade” suggests that even his efforts to write have become contaminated by the conflict. It also underscores Ellwood’s inability to articulate his pain; language fails him, and he can only destroy the page.