A Long Long Way: Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

Willie and the other soldiers in his company now huddle in a different trench. Willie isn’t sure where they are, but they call their new trench Sackville Street. Privately, the soldiers think about all the graves they’ve seen. Willie thinks about the thousands of French soldiers who have already died defending their country. He tries to imagine what the war would be like if it were taking place in Ireland instead. That night, Willie’s hands start shaking.

While it rains, Christy Moran smokes a cigarette and wishes aloud that he could go on a nice date with a girl back home—a much better alternative to lying in a muddy trench without food. After the rain stops, Captain Pasley comes by. He promises to ask for double rations tomorrow for the men, who treat Pasley with great respect. Then Captain Pasley raises his head to look out over the trench, despite Christy Moran’s nervousness that he’ll be shot. The captain dreamily comments on the beautiful land and the stars in the night sky. Willie admires Captain Pasley’s confidence and thinks all leaders should be like him.

In the middle of the night, Captain Pasley, Christy Moran, Willie, Clancy, Williams, and Pete O’Hara climb up onto no man’s land to fortify the barbed wire along their trenches. They have to creep stealthily to avoid detection, dropping into the grass whenever the Germans send star shells into the sky. Suddenly, Captain Pasley whispers for all the men to lie low. They hear an unknown group’s footsteps passing close by, and Willie urinates out of fear.

Willie grips the barrel of his rifle and suddenly feels that he’s not afraid. If he had to stand and fight the enemy now, he could. Willie grins, elated that fear hasn’t incapacitated him. The figures move away, and the men are relieved to be safe. Captain Pasley assures the men that they’ll return to their trench for some tea.