In Memoriam Chapter Nine: Divisional Rest and Growing Intimacy

⚠️ 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

The chapter opens with the officers boarding a train to France, where the men mutter superstitiously about the coming offensive. Gaunt and Ellwood share a compartment with officers from A and C Companies. Ellwood falls asleep on Gaunt’s shoulder; Gaunt notices that the other men are all in physical contact, reflecting the hypermasculine war atmosphere in which such closeness is accepted. Gaunt lets his head rest against Ellwood’s, thinking that if Ellwood were a girl he might marry him, but accepts the weight of his head as enough.

They detrain in France and march to a village much larger than the one near Ypres. The enlisted men cheer at the sight of an army brothel. Gaunt and Ellwood are assigned to an abandoned château serving as Headquarters. Gaunt declines a separate fleabag for Ellwood and they share a large four-poster bed. Gaunt reports to the colonel; when he returns, Ellwood is writing a letter on his copy of In Memoriam A.H.H. They share a kiss, and things become simple.

The next section shows them set up in a cherry orchard on the château grounds. A furious French villager arrives to complain about soldiers fishing with bombs in the river. Ellwood, whose French is better than Gaunt’s, translates. Gaunt and Ellwood decide not to punish the men; instead they suggest using rifles to shoot fish. Two days later, the men present them with a fresh carp.

During their three weeks of Divisional Rest, they swim, play games, and go on long gallops. At night they lie in bed together, and Gaunt reflects that this is the happiest time of his life, shadowed by the certainty it will end. Ellwood asks Gaunt to tell him something no one else knows. Gaunt admits that as a child he used to pretend to be Perseus, whose father Zeus was not interested in him. Ellwood asks if Perseus ever forgave Zeus; Gaunt says no.

The chapter includes two letters. Maud writes to Gaunt from London, describing her nursing work and asking him to persuade her parents to let her stay in the nursing dormitories. She also asks for news of Winifred’s fiancé, Charles, of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Gaunt replies briefly, avoiding serious discussion. Ellwood receives a letter from Cyril Roseveare, who reports that his brother Martin was killed at Gallipoli. Roseveare also mentions other schoolmates: Pritchard, West, Finch, Aldworth, and Grimsey, who was wounded in the groin. Gaunt and Ellwood discuss the news, and Gaunt observes that bravery should not be unquestioning. Ellwood expresses concern for Pritchard, and the two agree they used to wish for brothers.

The chapter ends with Gaunt’s private dread: even if they survive the war, he does not know how he will stand by at Ellwood’s wedding to Maud.

Key Events

Gaunt and Ellwood travel to France by train; Ellwood sleeps on Gaunt’s shoulder.
They share a four-poster bed in a château during Divisional Rest.
Gaunt and Ellwood kiss and begin a physical relationship.
A French villager complains about soldiers fishing with bombs; Ellwood translates, and they resolve the issue by allowing rifle fishing.
Gaunt reveals he pretended to be Perseus as a child, hinting at a strained relationship with his father.
Maud writes to Gaunt about nursing and family; Gaunt writes back evasively.
Ellwood receives a letter from Cyril Roseveare about his brother’s death at Gallipoli and other schoolmates’ fates.
Gaunt reflects on his fear that the happiness of these weeks cannot last.

Character Development

Henry Gaunt: Opens up emotionally for the first time, confessing a childhood fantasy to Ellwood. His vulnerability contrasts with his usual reserve. He also reveals his deep-seated anxiety about the future, doubting he can bear watching Ellwood marry Maud.
Sidney Ellwood: Shows his nurturing side by coaxing Gaunt to share a secret. He remains sensitive and attuned to Gaunt’s moods, noting that Gaunt talks about Thucydides when tired. His concern for Pritchard and his own wish for brothers reveal his longing for connection.
Cyril Roseveare (offstage): Conveys grief and duty after his brother’s death, while also showing a more complex character – admired by some for never complaining, but viewed by Gaunt as lacking true bravery.
Maud (offstage): Through her letter, she is depicted as independent, hardworking, and perceptive. She notices a change in Charles’s letters and tries to stay connected to Gaunt, though he cannot reciprocate.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Intimacy in the Shadow of Death: The physical closeness between soldiers is normalized by the war, allowing Gaunt and Ellwood to express their love, yet Gaunt’s happiness is poisoned by the knowledge that it will end, reflecting the motif of fleeting peace.
Classical Allusions and Myth: Gaunt’s identification with Perseus echoes his sense of paternal neglect and foreshadows the idea that heroes in myth only find brief happiness before tragedy. The reference to Edward II and Piers Gaveston adds a historical layer of doomed love.
Letters as Distance and Connection: Maud’s letters build a “tongue-tied loneliness” in Gaunt, while Roseveare’s letter brings news of death and suffering. Letters serve as both lifelines and reminders of the world beyond the château.
The Fragility of Rest: Divisional Rest is a lull that both cherishes and dreads; Gaunt’s private thoughts emphasize that this oasis cannot last, reinforcing the war’s inexorable pull.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter Nine is the emotional turning point of the first half of the novel. It solidifies Gaunt and Ellwood’s relationship through physical intimacy and emotional confession, while simultaneously underlining the impending tragedy. The contrast between the idyllic three weeks and the shadow of Loos (mentioned on the train) creates dramatic irony. The chapter also deepens the novel’s exploration of masculinity, love, and the psychological cost of war. Gaunt’s revelation about his father and his fear for the future set up the central conflict that will drive the remainder of the story.

3 Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the chapter’s opening on the train establish a new dynamic between Gaunt and Ellwood?
Gaunt allows his head to touch Ellwood’s after noticing that other officers are in physical contact. This acceptance signals that the hypermasculine environment of war creates space for intimacy that would not exist in peacetime. Gaunt internally compares Ellwood to a girl but accepts the weight of his head as enough, foreshadowing their physical relationship.

2. What does Gaunt’s confession about Perseus reveal about his feelings toward his father?
Gaunt says Perseus (and implicitly himself) never forgave Zeus for not caring when it mattered. This reveals deep resentment and emotional neglect from his father, who is mentioned as being “awfully proud” of Gaunt’s captaincy, though Gaunt’s tone is strained. The confession marks the first time Gaunt shares a vulnerable secret, indicating his growing trust in Ellwood.

3. Why does Gaunt keep all of Maud’s letters despite finding them painful?
Gaunt values Maud’s intelligence and taste, but he cannot express himself honestly to her. Her letters build “tongue-tied loneliness” because he wants to confide in her but feels unable to. Keeping the letters suggests a desire to maintain a connection to his pre-war self and to Maud, even as his relationship with Ellwood becomes all-consuming.