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Parade's End
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1st Q 2023 Parade's End by Ford
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Some questions to ponder, created by ChatGPT.
1. What are the defining characteristics of Christopher Tietjens, the protagonist of Parade's End?
2. How does Sylvia Tietjens, Christopher's wife, contribute to the central conflict of the novel?
3. In what ways does the character of Valentine Wannop challenge traditional gender roles and expectations?
4. How do the events of World War I impact the characters and plot of Parade's End?
5. What is the significance of the novel's title, Parade's End?
6. What is the central theme or message of Parade's End?
7. What role do class and social status play in the relationships and conflicts of the novel?
8. How does the character of Macmaster embody the changes and upheaval of the post-war period?
9. What is the significance of the relationship between Christopher and his brother, Mark?
10. How does the ending of the novel reflect or challenge the events and themes that precede it?
Will you be watching the BBC mini series or other such movie adaptations?
I have the BBC miniseries DVD and book lined up for January (I've had both in my queue for a few months actually). I'd thought about volunteering to host this one, but after the way my 1001 reading plans fizzled in 2022, I'll be glad to just get a good start for 2023 with a solid quarterly read participation and completion.
Mod
We are glad to have you back Jamie. Please feel free to moderate if you wish. Happy Reading! I am going to watch the mini series also.
Diane wrote: "Jamie wrote: "I have the BBC miniseries DVD and book lined up for January (I've had both in my queue for a few months actually). I'd thought about volunteering to host this one, but after the way m..."Thanks. Yeah, I might want to moderate this one. I've had the book and DVDs sitting around hoping this would be one of the 2023 quarterly reads for quite a while. I'll be starting reading it as soon as I find my book again, hopefully this week. :)
Ford Madox Ford and Parade's EndFord Madox Ford was born Joseph Leopold Ford Hermann Madox Hueffer in December 1873. He started and ran the literary journals The English Review and The Transatlantic Review, which published the work of quite a few important authors in English-language literature. His wikipedia article comes across as serious name-dropping, since he was acquainted with quite a few very recognizeable authors, whose names are also on the 1001 lists. He was co-author for several novels with Joseph Conrad, and was resentful about the various literary works he was involved with that were credited solely to their more famous authors.
Parade's End is a quartet of novels which was first published under a single omnibus title only in 1950. The fourth book, Last Post, was considered by Graham Greene to be an 'afterthought' that Ford regretted and would not want included in the full published work. Considering that he may actually have heard this from Ford, and the fact that this last book is stylistically quite different, he may have a point.
Parade's End was published before WW2, while WW1 was still The War to End All Wars, It follows a man from a wealthy British family who joins the British Army. Ford himself was involved in British war propaganda after the beginning of World War I. He worked for the War Propaganda Bureau and wrote two propaganda books. Ford enlisted at 41 years of age in the British Army in 1915, and he was sent to France. Hia experiences inspired his novels that make up Parade's End.
Mod
We are introduced to the main characters; Christopher Tietjens, Valentine Wannop, Miss Wanostrocht, Aranjuez, McKechnie and General Campion. World War I has started and most of the book is in the battlefield and trenches. We also spend a great deal of time in Christopher’s head. Then there is this whole sonnet thing made me think of The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell, I seem to remember something about music in that book as well. Surprisingly I am enjoying this book more than I thought I would.
I have finished A Man Could Stand Up and it is a rather brilliant subtitle as clearly a man could stand up for himself and his reputation or do the supposedly honorable thing and instead protect his wife's reputation rather than his own. A Man could not be with a woman he loves before he goes off to war in order to make sure he did not leave her as a single mother if he should be killed or because he is about to die, he may spend that one last night of love with her. I have to admit that all the way through Part 1, I was irritated by the manners and conventions of the ruling class and the administrative class of pre WWI England. However, having finished the first book's Part 2 I am now quite enjoying the chronological jump cuts that Ford plays with, the interior dialogues of Tietjens and Valentine, and the build up of more nuanced characters in Tietjens, Valentine, Mrs. MacMaster and Sylvia.
I am confused because in my edition, the first book is called "Some Do Not...", and "A Man Could Stand Up" is not even book 2 but book 3 of a total of 4 books. Do you guys have something different?I've started "Some Do Not..." and I'm planning to finish this part in January and read the other 3 parts in February. So far, Christopher Tietjens seems to be "the honourable man" often acting against his own interests in the name of "honour". But WWI has not yet started and I expect this will affect him.
Rosemary you are completely correct. I finished "Some Do Not". I just loved the subtitle "A Man Could Stand Up" and transposed it in my mind. Sorry to confuse you.
Mod
Oh no, that is too odd!
Just finished "Some do Not" and am enjoying the book so far. Having read both Remembrance of Things Past and Dance to the Music of Time last year, I'm definitely noting some similarities between them. Especially in the sense of foreboding from the early war that looms over a high society still insisting on business (or rather leisure) as usual. to answer the first few questions for this part:
1) Christopher strikes me as a very passive man in part 1. It's made clear that -unlike his friend Macmaster- he has come from privilege and has the luxury of somewhat wafting through life. He is drawn into Valentine's more active company, he raises his son (who may not be his son) Catholic even though he hates his wife's "papist" tendencies, and in the scene where Sylvia throws his dinner at him he just brushes it off to be vaguely annoyed later that there is oil stains on his uniform. Interested to see how active service treats him. I did watch the miniseries ~10 years ago when it was new-ish, but I don't remember the details. If I recall, he just gets broken by things.
2) Christopher's personality is in contrast to Sylvia's- which is dramatic and bombastic. Her affairs and outbursts at her husband, as well as her insistence that 'their' boy be raised Catholic all contribute to growing emotional frigidity between them which I can only assume this emotional distance becomes relevant to Christopher's reaction/involvement in the war and their standing in high society.
I feel like if Sylvia were a contemporary woman, she'd be portrayed as one of those "real housewives' of wherever reality tv people who just exist to be rich and cause interpersonal drama lol.
3) So far Valentine is introduced as an independent woman, a singleton, a writer who supports herself, and is known foremost for her political and philosophical ideas. She is in many ways a foil to Sylvia who represents (to a certain extent) the more typical high society wife. I also really like that while people suspect Valentine and Christopher are having an affair ,when they haven't at this point. It really challenges traditional gendered notions by staking that men and women can get to know one another based on respect or intellectual curiosity rather than just lust.
Admittedly, I am looking more forward to part 2 as I suspect I'll find the bits about the war more intriguing than the bits about rich people drama and constrained social interactions.
Mod
I have finished 'Some Do Not'. I'm enjoying it, although I find the relationships rather strange. In the first part, Sylvia Tietjens was about to return to husband Christopher for lack of other options, it seemed, after running off with another man. In the second part, she is apparently madly in love with her husband and jealous because he has now found someone else. I found this unconvincing, perhaps because we're not shown much of her inner life. She's more of a storm force blowing through.
Mod
Some Do Not. I enjoyed meeting all the characters. At first I thought Sylvia was quite a piece of work but she somehow has her head screwed on straight compared to some of the others. Like Kristel said Christopher is a dying breed, I also find him foolish with the loaning of money to anyone who asks. This book seemed to be a lot about marriage and mistresses. On to the next one.
I have finished "Some Do Not" too. I am really enjoying it. I imagine Tietjens as looking rather like Boris Johnson, although I think Benedict Cumberpatch played him in the television series. I am disappointed to find that the TV version is not available on any streaming service I have at the moment. I shall try my libraries. My Audible version is read by Bill Nighy and I could listen to him all day. It does remind me much of Anthony Powell's Dance to the Music of Time.
Well, I finished the whole thing last month, but figure now is a good time for the 2nd month discussion. As I predicted, overall, I did prefer Some do Not to part 1 as I thought the interpersonal drama was more interesting when it is being complicated by the war. So for some questions answered in the context of Some do Not :
4. How do the events of World War I impact the characters and plot of Parade's End?
- Sylvia cheating blatantly with what seems to be many military men in Rouen leads to the functional end of their marriage, and Christopher's court-martial fiasco which leads to him going to the front. On the front, the things he is exposed to later materialize as what is clearly PTSD, which affects his actions. As well, the way he sees many others die before having closure in their personal lives compels him to be honest about his feelings for Valentine, which affects the plot in terms of his and Sylvia's marriage.
5. What is the significance of the novel's title, Parade's End?
At the end of Some do Not Christopher's march to the front is the end of his societal parade as an upright married gentlemen. His drama with Sylvia and his assignment to the front line has killed his social status and ability to stay above the other people.
In the end, it is also the end of WWI and the military parades. It's back to society, but a wholly different one than Christopher left behind.
6. What is the central theme or message of Parade's End?
I got that it is about the changing of the guard as it were between the old world and the new- as precipitated by WWI. It's about the world moving on without you if you don't change with the times.
7. What role do class and social status play in the relationships and conflicts of the novel?
-So substantially on both ends! It damns many of the worker class characters to death on the front line because they cannot get leave for the personal issues the way the upper class characters do. One the other hand, Christopher also eventually gets damned to the front line because his godfather doesn't want to look like a nepotist in transferring him, and he is unable to explain how Sylvia's cheating is central to his actions at his court-martial because he can't 'ruin a society lady'. It is his- and his circle's- attachment to their rigid upper crust ideals and appearances that ultimately damns him to the front as well.
I finished Book 2 yesterday and strangely enjoyed this book much more than Book 1 even though I don't really appreciate "war" books, I found the multi layer tangle of the internal dialogues and outward external dialogues with a bit of actual action thrown in, really worked in keeping my interest. On to Book 3.
I have just finished Part Two also. Comments later.
Mod
The word “mealsack” keeps popping up in my mind. Otherwise, he is very intelligent (maybe too much), very principled (maybe too much), very obnoxious, but also very selfless. And stoic.
2. How does Sylvia Tietjens, Christopher's wife, contribute to the central conflict of the novel?
Her relentless desire to hurt Tietjens at all costs drives pretty much most of the novel. And, in a way, her characteristics are mostly antithetical to those of her (ex-)husband.
3. In what ways does the character of Valentine Wannop challenge traditional gender roles and expectations?
She clearly represents the break several Victorian traditions, but in strange ways at times. One could think her a resolute feminist through her suffragette activities and her duties during the war; yet, she is playing the traditional wife’s role to nurse and take care of Tietjens after the war (granted, not completely, as Marie Léonie shoulders most of the burden). It does not seem to bother her that she will never be able to marry Tietjens because of his strong resolution not to divorce Sylvia.
5. What is the significance of the novel's title, Parade's End?
Echoing the forthcoming end of regular military parades (even at the front), it represents the end of the Victorian era, of its values and of its comforts (for the upper classes).
Will you be watching the BBC mini series or other such movie adaptations?
I was not aware of the mini series. But it would probably be something I’m interested in, even though I don’t watch much TV.
1. What are the defining characteristics of Christopher Tietjens, the protagonist of Parade's End?He is the younger son of landed gentry who have held an estate in Yorkshire for untold generations. This defines his values, which are honour, stiff upper lip, love of horses, dedication to the land, and good treatment of the lower classes provided they know their place.
2. How does Sylvia Tietjens, Christopher's wife, contribute to the central conflict of the novel?
Sylvia is the central conflict of the novel. To me she represents the First World War and its unexpected and incomprehensible effect on English society, which had no defense against it because the way the war played out was unthinkable to English people of all classes at the time. Sylvia is unbelievable in the same way.
3. In what ways does the character of Valentine Wannop challenge traditional gender roles and expectations?
Valentine is interesting because she is not that bothered about losing her reputation as a virgin due to Sylvia's untruthful rumour mill. This suggests she is a New Woman. On the other hand she is shown as a traditional woman in her faithful love for Christopher despite his not writing to her for however many years he was away in the war. Unfortunately, as is often the way with heroes vs villains, Valentine is not as interesting as Sylvia.
5. What is the significance of the novel's title, Parade's End?
The novel shows the end of the domination of the landed gentry in England with their Victorian ideals and values. They are on parade, on show to the world, and they are doomed, like the soldiers.
6. What is the central theme or message of Parade's End?
The traditional English values of the upper and professional classes have been overturned. Tietjens represents the old. Sylvia represents the cataclysmic force of change. I think Valentine represents the new, and she is a force for good, but the end of the novel is equivocal on whether that is enough to replace what was lost.
7. What role do class and social status play in the relationships and conflicts of the novel?
Class is always a feature in European literature from about 1800 to at least 1970. From 1918 onwards it's very visible because there are characters from all classes, whereas earlier, literature tended to focus only on the upper (literate) classes.
8. How does the character of Macmaster embody the changes and upheaval of the post-war period?
I didn't think Macmaster was that important, but maybe he represents the lower middle class coming to prominence.
9. What is the significance of the relationship between Christopher and his brother, Mark?
For me this was the most touching relationship in the book. I loved the way that Christopher and Mark (who are actually only half-brothers, with a huge age difference) slowly came to appreciate and respect each other, and that Mark was sometimes almost the only person to believe in Christopher. And this despite their many differences.
Will you be watching the BBC mini series or other such movie adaptations?
I don't really watch TV, but if Benedict Cumberbatch is in it, I might be tempted. I've seen him as Sherlock Holmes and Professor Frankenstein, and he was great :)
Mod
“No more Hope, no more Glory, no more parades for you and me any more.”
I can tell why this book is titled no more parades as this sentiment is written many times. In this book we see Sylvia’s true colors. I thought it very strange that everyone was so concerned with Tietjens’ personal life. So far this is my least favorite of the books.
“For, your wife to throw you over for an attractive man is naturally humiliating, but that she should leave you publicly for a man of hardly any intelligence at all, you priding yourself on your brains, must be nearly as mortifying a thing as can happen to you.”
“Women do say things against their husbands when they are not on good terms with them…”
“I do what I want and that’s good enough for any one.”
“If I am vulgar I’m vulgar with a purpose.”
“But if you commit a mortal sin with your eyes open it’s not vulgarity…”
Christopher Tietjens' characteristics were that he had a sense of honour which was more of the eighteenth than the twentieth century. His wife committed flagrant adultery but he would not consider divorce as being dishonourable and he refused to answer the lies that were spread about him as being beneath his dignity. He was a brilliant mathematician, but refused to fudge statistics for the Deparment of Statistics, was extremely knoweledgeable about all sorts of things, especially antique furniture, and he was good with horses.
Sylvia was an extremely beauiful woman, who had probably duped Christopher into marrying her because she was not sure of the paternity of her child. She had seduced him in a railway carriage. Because he would not fight back Christopher enraged her, so she devised every way she could to make his life miserable. Eventually it is revealed that she is a masochist who would probably have enjoyeda more violent relationship. Christopher's attitude of appeasement and understanding was exactly what she didn't want!
Valentine and Christopher were alike in that they harboured deep feelings for each other for several years without acting on them. She was a suffragette and a pacifist and a woman of ideas, reputed to be the best Latinist in Britain. Christopher desired a relationship with her so that they would have all the time they needed to discuss ideas.
Parade's End is mentioned many times as being the end of an era - no more parades. It is the theme of the novels: that the war changed so many things, including the pomp and ceremony celebrating empire.
Class is integral to the novel. Everyone is judged by the way they "play the game". Who one is is so much more important than what one does, but the war changed the rigidity of the class system. Many officers were incompetent and many non-commisioned officers showed their superiority. Pre-war it would have been unthinkable for landed gentry to earn money in any other way than from the land but Christopher became an antique dealer, although not without it being something of a scandal!
MacMaster was of humble background but he was able to make good by using Christopher. He borrowed money he never returned, he married a woman he would not have got without Christopher's help and then he shamelessly passed Christopher's work off as his own which resulted in a knighthood. He and his wife became great social climbers.
Mark appreciated Christopher as he lay, apparently speechless after a stroke, and even came to admire him for refusing any money from the family estate, although it has seemed incomprehensible to him earlier. He realised that his attempts to help Christopher had been detrimental, and he had believed the rumours about him, which were all untrue. He sees his nephew and decides that he is Christopher's son after all. The family estate will continue.
I actually started this novel in late Jan or early Feb, read 76 pages and really was not feeling it. So, I put it aside and read other books (including the tortuous The Heat of the Day!).I picked it up again last week ('cause - darn it - I'm going to read it this quarter - ha, ha...) and now I am really enjoying it. I guess I just wasn't in the correct frame of mind earlier. I had to read some 'not that good' writing first!
I have just finished 'Some do not....'. I am surprised at the perfidy of some of the characters, and even more surprised how sympathetically I am now viewing Tietjens. I first viewed him as a boorish upper-class twit (albeit an intelligent person); now I see him as trapped by his own take on the upper class code.
Regarding the mini-series - I didn't know there was one! I see it has good actors and the adapter is good as well. If I was to come across it I probably would be interested, but as I don't really watch TV I wouldn't seek it out.
Alright I guess I'll post the final questions for the final month:8. Macmaster, to me, represented the rise of the capitalist 'new money' against the aristocratic 'old money' like Tietjens. The fact that he rises in social standing specifically out of pulling money out of the 'last tory' and his social class seemed very appropriate to the idea his character conveys.
9. I agree with others here that this was one of the sweeter more functional relationships of the novel, even when Mark had his doubts. I think it shows how things, ideas, and people were not completely abandoned for the new modern world that developed out of the war. I think this was best exemplified through Mark's decision to accept Christopher's son as the heir and not himself.
10. I feel like the ending- Christopher fulfilling his role as the last true Tory, the horrors of the war and ill health catching up with him, but the line living on through his son who might not be his son- don't really challenge any of the previously established themes.
Mod
Mod
Well, I just finished "No More Parades".I thought the writing here was particularly effective - you really have the sense of the confusion of the marshaling area, the stress, and the insanity of it all. Ford also is very adept at showing his character's shell shock, and describes it empathetically.
Not being part of, or being exposed to, the British class system it is a little difficult to understand how the General can act as he does (probing into Tietjens marital life, the status of his estate, etc). He comes across as a pompous old fool (as does the other General...... so, maybe Ford had something against Generals!). As well, there is a very complex dance of relations between other higher ranking men and Teitjens, who is at a higher social level than them.
1. What are the defining characteristics of Christopher Tietjens, the protagonist of Parade's End?
He is very intelligent, very honor bound, somewhat naive (and because of that is taken advantage of), and has some very old fashioned ideas about life that don't really fit well with the time period the novel(s) are set in.
2. How does Sylvia Tietjens, Christopher's wife, contribute to the central conflict of the novel?
I've only read the first two parts, so maybe she grows as a person in the next two. At the moment though, all I can say is she is some piece of work. She doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities (except maybe that she seemed to recognize the McMaster's for the perfidious social climbers that they were, to the detriment of Teitjens). She is so self absorbed that she thinks it is perfectly okay to swan around the Front upsetting Teitjens and the General.
3. In what ways does the character of Valentine Wannop challenge traditional gender roles and expectations?
She is the counterpoint to Sylvia and Lady McMaster. She supports her Mother (and for a while, her brother). Her job is physical education because she was fit - Ford makes a real point of this. I imagine there were other physically fit women at the time, but I think he is using this to portray her as a woman of action. Of the three women, she seems to have more of a moral compass. She doesn't look to a man to 'save her'; and interestingly she is not bound by religion (as the other two are).
I just finished 'A Man Could Stand Up'. Of the three parts I've read, I really enjoyed this one. I thought the structure of the book was very interesting, and effective. I still appreciate how Ford's first hand knowledge of WW1 makes his writing about the trenches authentic.4. How do the events of World War I impact the characters and plot of Parade's End?
5. What is the significance of the novel's title, Parade's End?
I think I can say at this point, the allusion is to the literal 'no more parades' that the British military/colonial forces used to indulge in; and the overarching theme of 'an end of an era' for the upper classes and those who were stuck in bygone eras (eg. Victorian). WW1 threw all classes together, which is plainly spelled out in the third part, in the trenches. Men didn't always achieve things by merit in the war, but they had a better chance of doing so.
1. What are the defining characteristics of Christopher Tietjens, the protagonist of Parade's End?He is described as the last remaining Tory in England, an Anglican saint who is a sinner and/or an 18th century man. His manners and language usage are upper class, his morals and values are old school (in a good way), his expectations are low, his mind is one which works to solve puzzles, particularly mathematical puzzles but which often appears to puzzle itself. He is not financially driven but that must come rather easily to someone who was expecting to be taken care of financially. He is very loyal to friends, his class and his country. He is also described as an elephant, a big pile of sandbags, a grey lump. Women, some very beautiful and intelligent women, find him attractive and normally "a grey lump" would not be attractive.
2. How does Sylvia Tietjens, Christopher's wife, contribute to the central conflict of the novel?
Sylvia represents radical change and is an incredibly spoiled and selfish member of the upper class who enjoys torturing people as if it were a game. It largely is a game to her. She marries Tietjens because she is pregnant and he is of the right class. She then is terribly upset that he does not love her and spends the rest of the book doing everything in her power to bring him down and back to her. Her not being able to divorce in the eyes of the Catholic church means that she is consistently in the way of everyone else's wishes and desires.
3. In what ways does the character of Valentine Wannop challenge traditional gender roles and expectations?
Valentine is capable of taking care of herself and her mother financially although certainly not to the point of riches at a time when this was very difficult for a woman to do. She is well educated. She is a pacifist and is able to argue and demonstrate for her beliefs without losing her "good girl" status. People genuinely like her and of course, Tietjens loves her because their minds work, to a certain extent, alike. When we, as readers, are in their minds, in their interior dialogues, they seem to be quite muddled but both of them actually act in a very straight forward, clear way, according to their strongly held beliefs.
4. How do the events of World War I impact the characters and plot of Parade's End? WWI and how it radically changed the class structure and the expectations placed on the working classes and the upper classes is at the core of the story.
5. What is the significance of the novel's title, Parade's End? As others have answered, the classic English military parades that served to get the working classes to patriotically participate in the pomp and ceremony of the empire were changed by the horrors of WWI. One could not celebrate war after that. Our characters can not perform their assigned at birth roles after that.
6. What is the central theme or message of Parade's End? Change is an inevitable part of life and although everything changed during and after WWI, many of the old ways continue. To quote Sylvia: "Times change, people not so much."
8. How does the character of Macmaster embody the changes and upheaval of the post-war period? His rise to Knighthood was almost exclusively on the back of other people's efforts although I guess one could credit him for middle class ambition. He represented that middle class muddle in which they could strive to be upper class, and educated to be well off, they still were not able to make nearly the amount of money as the landed gentry.
9. What is the significance of the relationship between Christopher and his brother, Mark? I came to love the character of Mark. He messed up badly but realized it. He ultimately loved his mistress, his brother, and even had a soft spot for Valentine. He also came round to believing that Michael/Mark junior was the rightful heir and that meant that some semblance of continuity in the life he believed in.
10. How does the ending of the novel reflect or challenge the events and themes that precede it? The ending softens some of the themes and messaging of the book but does not wipe it clean. Sylvia cries and says that she will grant Tietjens a divorce. She may or may not. Mark sees junior as the heir of Groby which allows for continuity of the family inheritance. Our characters are tired, tested and a bit lost but they are not so radically changed that they all leave for America, for example.
I do intend to watch the BBC mini-series but have not found the time yet.
I finished yesterday. Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and am glad it was chosen as a quarterly read. I will be giving it 4*. As I mentioned above, the first book dragged a little at the beginning for me. However, once I got past that (and applied myself!) I really enjoyed it up to the end of book three. I am glad that Ford wrote the fourth instalment, and I did like it as well, but I can see how it would disconcert some readers. I see that book as Ford driving his point home (that times changed greatly), as well I got the impression that he was experimenting more with stream of consciousness. 7. What role do class and social status play in the relationships and conflicts of the novel?
Class and social status is what the novel is about, really. All of the characters are very conscious of their social status, whether they adhere to it or not, and base their decisions on it. Some of them are firmly bound to their class/status, others see the change that has been forced on them and make different choices because of that. Valentine is the outlier, circumstance caused her to lose her social position earlier than WW1 and she ends up being the most free to make choices that make sense to her (rather than society).
8. How does the character of Macmaster embody the changes and upheaval of the post-war period?
I think Gail is correct in her estimation of MacMaster's role in the novel. I thought it was interesting how he dropped out of the narrative at some point in book 2, and we only hear about him/them through Valentine or Sylvia.
9. What is the significance of the relationship between Christopher and his brother, Mark?
I think what everyone else says is true. They are opposites, yet because they are family they understand each other and in the end care a great deal for each other.
10. How does the ending of the novel reflect or challenge the events and themes that precede it?
I think the ending does reflect what has gone before - Mark's illness (either real or self imposed) represents the difficult change happening in society.
I'm not one to collect quotes, but the following passage from "A Man could Stand up" (near the end) really jumped out at me:"Hitherto, she had thought of the War as physical suffering only: now she saw it only as mental torture. Immense miles and miles of anguish in darkened minds. That remained. Men might stand up on hills, but the mental torture could not be expelled."
Finally finished only 10 days late.
1. What are the defining characteristics of Christopher Tietjens, the protagonist of Parade's End? His honour matters more to him than anything, stubborn, determined, tries his best.
2. How does Sylvia Tietjens, Christopher's wife, contribute to the central conflict of the novel? Sylvia is a force of nature never happy and always out for more. She marries him pregnant with someone elses child, drives him away with her attitude only to want him back when he finds someone else, spreads rumours that he is a communist to mess up his life. Passionate, jealous and angry life for Christopher would have been much easier if he never married but then Groby does need an heir.
3. In what ways does the character of Valentine Wannop challenge traditional gender roles and expectations? She is educated and she willing gets involved with a married man she is prepared to live in sin with him and have an illegitimate child.
4. How do the events of World War I impact the characters and plot of Parade's End? WWI pulls the characters away from their comfort zones, death becomes a daily occurence and the idea of mortality leads the characters to make decisions that maybe wouldn't during peace time.
5. What is the significance of the novel's title, Parade's End? It is the end of the traditional way of life for Christopher and his family the idea of hereditary estates and the old ways being passed down from father to son. At the time the war was to end all wars so presumably the soldiers way of life was thought to be at an end as well.
6. What is the central theme or message of Parade's End? Nothing is forever, everything changes even the family home can be destroyed.
7. What role do class and social status play in the relationships and conflicts of the novel? Catholics can't divorce hence why Christopher has so many issues with his marriage, officers and troops have strained relationships as different classes live and die togehter.
8. How does the character of Macmaster embody the changes and upheaval of the post-war period?
9. What is the significance of the relationship between Christopher and his brother, Mark? They are from different marriages and the relationship is strained due to age differences. Mark eventually recognises that Christopher's son is the only heir the family will have even if he is not a true heir. Christopher is stubborn and wants nothing from his brother.
10. How does the ending of the novel reflect or challenge the events and themes that precede it? I think it reflects the idea that nothing is constant and in the end nothing really matters the world moves on.
Will you be watching the BBC mini series or other such movie adaptations? Probably not
1. What are the defining characteristics of Christopher Tietjens, the protagonist of Parade's End? His honour matters more to him than anything, stubborn, determined, tries his best.
2. How does Sylvia Tietjens, Christopher's wife, contribute to the central conflict of the novel? Sylvia is a force of nature never happy and always out for more. She marries him pregnant with someone elses child, drives him away with her attitude only to want him back when he finds someone else, spreads rumours that he is a communist to mess up his life. Passionate, jealous and angry life for Christopher would have been much easier if he never married but then Groby does need an heir.
3. In what ways does the character of Valentine Wannop challenge traditional gender roles and expectations? She is educated and she willing gets involved with a married man she is prepared to live in sin with him and have an illegitimate child.
4. How do the events of World War I impact the characters and plot of Parade's End? WWI pulls the characters away from their comfort zones, death becomes a daily occurence and the idea of mortality leads the characters to make decisions that maybe wouldn't during peace time.
5. What is the significance of the novel's title, Parade's End? It is the end of the traditional way of life for Christopher and his family the idea of hereditary estates and the old ways being passed down from father to son. At the time the war was to end all wars so presumably the soldiers way of life was thought to be at an end as well.
6. What is the central theme or message of Parade's End? Nothing is forever, everything changes even the family home can be destroyed.
7. What role do class and social status play in the relationships and conflicts of the novel? Catholics can't divorce hence why Christopher has so many issues with his marriage, officers and troops have strained relationships as different classes live and die togehter.
8. How does the character of Macmaster embody the changes and upheaval of the post-war period?
9. What is the significance of the relationship between Christopher and his brother, Mark? They are from different marriages and the relationship is strained due to age differences. Mark eventually recognises that Christopher's son is the only heir the family will have even if he is not a true heir. Christopher is stubborn and wants nothing from his brother.
10. How does the ending of the novel reflect or challenge the events and themes that precede it? I think it reflects the idea that nothing is constant and in the end nothing really matters the world moves on.
Will you be watching the BBC mini series or other such movie adaptations? Probably not
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