Previous
Raina Petkoff
Bluntschli is a Swedish professional soldier who fights with the Servians during the war. He has none of Raina or Sergius’s romantic notions about war. He thinks courage is overrated and that war is more often ugly than noble. He carries sweets with him rather than extra weapons, which leads Raina to (affectionately) call him the “chocolate cream soldier.” He is an excellent soldier, much more sensible and experienced than Sergius or Major Petkoff, and seems as sensible and cynical as Raina is romantic. However, he is touched by the fact that she takes care of him when he climbs up her balcony, and eventually admits that he is also somewhat of a romantic, and declares his affection for Raina at the end of the play.
Captain Bluntschli Quotes in Arms and the Man
The Arms and the Man quotes below are all either spoken by Captain Bluntschli or refer to Captain Bluntschli. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1 Quotes
I am a Swiss, fighting merely as a professional soldier. I joined Servia because it came first on the road from Switzerland.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The sounds of gunfire have erupted, and Louka has urged Catherine and Raina to bolt the windows. The windows of Raina's bedroom, however, cannot be locked, and a soldier in Servian uniform has climbed in. He has spoken threateningly to Raina, but she seems unafraid of him, and reluctantly agrees to hide him when Louka and her mother enter. Once they are alone again, the soldier, Captain Bluntschli, explains that he is not actually Servian but a Swiss professional soldier, who joined the Servian army simply "because it came first on the road from Switzerland." This statement is a direct Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum.
There are only two sorts of soldiers: old ones and young ones.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Captain Bluntschli has begged Raina to let him stay inside a while before returning to the battle. Although Raina allows him to stay and gives him chocolate, she is scornful of his timid attitude, and declares that she herself is braver than him. She tells Bluntschli that he is unlike Bulgarian soldiers, inferring that they are more courageous, but Bluntschli disagrees, saying the only types of soldiers are "old ones and young ones." Once again, Bluntschli seems remarkably dismissive of nationalistic allegiances and romantic views of battle. He appears to consider divides between men of different nations as meaningless, pointing Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit.
Oh you are a very poor soldier—a chocolate cream soldier! Come, cheer up.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Captain Bluntschli has told Raina about the comic behavior of the Bulgarian forces, who––led by Sergius––charged ahead with such bravado that the Servians burst out laughing. Raina is offended, revealing to Bluntschli that she is engaged to Sergius. Bluntschli apologizes, but when Raina tells him he must leave he almost begins to cry. Pitying him, Raina calls him "a chocolate cream soldier" and decides to try and cheer him up. Raina's statement here exemplifies the unusual dynamic between her and Bluntschli. It is clear that Raina is more used to playing out the traditional gender roles of men and women, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea susci
Act 3 Quotes
I want to be quite perfect with Sergius—no meanness, no smallness, no deceit. My relation to him is the one really beautiful and noble part of my life.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Sergius and Bluntschli have been working together at the desk in the library; when they are finished, Sergius and Major Petkoff depart to deliver the orders, leaving Raina and Bluntschli alone. Raina tells Bluntschli that if Sergius finds out that she hid him when he climbed onto her balcony, Sergius would kill him. Bluntschli clearly finds this idea ludicrous, which angers Raina. In this passage, Raina stresses that she wants there to be "no meanness, no smallness, no deceit" in her relationship with Sergius. Although Raina's feelings for Sergius seem to be earnest, her words are rendered hollow by the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debiti
Do you know, you are the first man I ever met who did not take me seriously?
You mean, don’t you, that I am the first man that has ever taken you quite seriously?
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Raina has told Bluntschli that she doesn't want there to be any deceit in her relationship with Sergius, but Bluntschli points out she has already lied about hiding him on her balcony. Bluntschli has admitted that he is attracted to Raina, even if he doesn't believe a word she says. Raina tells him that he is the first man not to take her seriously, but Bluntschli insists that the opposite is true––that he is the first man to take her "quite seriously." This passage reveals the strange, contradictory logic underlying gendered social relations among the upper class at the time. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Volu
I could no more fight with you than I could make love to an ugly woman. You’ve no magnetism: you’re not a man, you’re a machine.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Louka has told Sergius that Raina will marry Bluntschli, and Sergius has reacted furiously. Sergius challenges Bluntschli to a duel, and Bluntschli amusedly accepts. Sergius, Bluntschli, and Raina argue with one another, and in doing so reveal that Sergius and Raina's declarations of love are in fact false, as they are both in love with other people. In this passage, Sergius announces defeatedly that he can't fight Bluntschli, as Bluntschli is not a man but "a machine." This statement emphasizes the impression that Sergius is a comic character who would say anything rather than admit that his aggressive bravado is Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimu
My rank is the highest known in Switzerland: I am a free citizen.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Although at first hesitant to marry Raina because of her age, when Bluntschli finds out that Raina is actually twenty-three, not seventeen, he asks her parents if he may propose to her. They respond that Raina is accustomed to great wealth and a high rank, and Bluntschli describes the fortune he possesses from his hotels. Major Petkoff, awed, asks if Bluntschli is "Emperor of Switzerland," but Bluntschli replies that he has the highest rank in Switzerland: "a free citizen." This claim emphasizes the fact that Bluntschli has decidedly modern ideas about class, money, and equality. Although he is hugely wealthy, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti solu
Get the entire Arms and the Man LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Captain Bluntschli Character Timeline in Arms and the Man
The timeline below shows where the character Captain Bluntschli appears in Arms and the Man. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 2
...the officer is asking to see the lady of the house. His name is Captain Bluntschli, and he is Swiss. Catherine is startled and tells Louka to bring him to the...
(full context)
Captain Bluntschli greets Catherine warmly, and she tells him he was foolish to come, as the Bulgarians...
(full context)
Just then Major Petkoff arrives, warmly greeting Bluntschli by name and shaking his hand. He does not notice how nervous Catherine is. Sergius...
(full context)
...she had made a chocolate cream soldier that Nicola had accidentally smashed. She apologizes to Bluntschli, adding that she hopes he did not think she was referring to him with such...
(full context)
Act 3
...in the library. There are very few books, and the furnishings are less than impressive. Bluntschli is hard at work at the desk. Sergius sits with him, and is also supposed...
(full context)
Petkoff asks Bluntschli if there is any way he could be of service. Bluntschli, without pausing his writing,...
(full context)
...and asks Nicola to go fetch it. Nicola (who knows the coat is actually in Bluntschli’s bag) leaves. Petkoff playfully bets Catherine some jewelry the coat will not be found. Sergius...
(full context)
Raina and Bluntschli are left alone. Raina tells him that the story about the night he climbed up...
(full context)
Bluntschli points out that she has lied to Sergius about their meeting, and she says the...
(full context)
...has always behaved in such a way—her act has always been believed. She wonders if Bluntschli now thinks her a liar and a cheat—he tells her the opposite; that he admires...
(full context)
...slipped a portrait of herself, with a note, into the coat pocket when he left. Bluntschli responds that he never looked in the pockets, and it is entirely possible the portrait...
(full context)
Louka comes in, delivering written messages to Bluntschli. Bluntschli opens one and declares it is bad news—his father is dead. Raina says this...
(full context)
...Louka is simply jealous of Raina. Louka laughs at this and says Raina will marry Bluntschli, a man worth ten of Sergius. Sergius takes her in his arms and insists he...
(full context)
Bluntschli enters as Louka leaves. Sergius confronts him, and challenges him to a duel. Bluntschli amusedly...
(full context)
Raina guesses that Bluntschli’s friend (the one who did not keep the secret of his story) has contacted Sergius,...
(full context)
Sergius despairs, and tells Bluntschli he cannot fight him, for Bluntschli is not a man so much as he is...
(full context)
Sergius hears this and in a rage throws the door open and pulls Louka inside. Bluntschli comments that he has eavesdropped before too, but it was justified because his life was...
(full context)
...to her, he finds it missing. Raina eventually must explain that the portrait was for Bluntschli, and Bluntschli admits he was the Swiss fugitive in the story the Major heard.
(full context)
...arrives and admits he and Louka are not engaged, for she does not want him. Bluntschli remarks he would hire Nicola to run his hotels, for he seems a very capable...
(full context)
...She asks to know the meaning of this. Sergius says he will marry Louka, and Bluntschli congratulates them. Catherine is aghast. Louka, calling Raina by her first name, says that Raina...
(full context)
Bluntschli says that by inheriting the hotels from his father he has inherited a great fortune,...
(full context)
