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Chapter 3
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in March, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Racial Injustice and the Horrors of Slavery
Moral Complexity and the Limits of Idealism
The Cost of War
Silence, Secrets, and Omissions
Redemption
Summary
Analysis
In January of 1862, outside Harper’s Ferry, March writes a letter to Margaret, describing his work as a chaplain. He recounts calming a guilt-ridden soldier by dismissing the idea of a literal hell, only to learn the young man had faked repentance, hoping for a furlough. As he writes, his thoughts shift to the day he first met Margaret at her brother’s chapel in Connecticut. He remembers delivering a sermon denouncing the exclusion of a Black man from a state funeral. During the sermon, he noticed Margaret, a young woman who listened intently. After the service, they were introduced, and he became fascinated with her passionate views on education for women.
March’s letter once again disguises his heartbreaking, confusing conditions behind neater and more poetic anecdotes. He tries to frame his chaplaincy as meaningful, but the soldier’s manipulation leaves him feeling foolish. The shift in his thoughts to Margaret suggests a retreat—when the present feels like failure, he clings to a memory of idealism and connection. The flashback casts him in a more righteous light, speaking out against racial exclusion and impressing a woman who shares his values.
Active
Themes
Back in the present, March contemplates the violence and chaos around Harper’s Ferry. When Union soldiers destroy civilian homes in retaliation for a comrade’s death, March criticizes the leader of their unit, who angrily dismisses him. March also visits the Engine House, where John Brown’s failed raid on the federal armory ended. He remembers his conflicted feelings about Brown—a man he admired but who used others for his cause. Despite believing in Brown’s vision, March remains troubled by the man’s ruthless methods.
March tries to hold on to principle in a setting where power is exercised without accountability. His criticism of the Union officer shows a moral clarity that the army does not reward, and once again, he is dismissed. John Brown was a historical abolitionist who attempted to facilitate a slave rebellion at Harpers Ferry, an act for which he was ultimately executed. To March, John Brown represents the cost of conviction pushed to extremes. March admired Brown’s ideals but not his violence.
Active
Themes
As March walks through the town, he encounters three Union soldiers ransacking a home, terrorizing a woman and her young daughter. One soldier even gropes the girl. Furious, March demands they stop, but the soldiers mock him. March reports the incident to a colonel, but the officer dismisses his concerns. The colonel suggests that March, whose progressive views alienate the men, should request a reassignment. He believes March’s job is to bring comfort to the soldiers, but instead, most of the soldiers find his presence irritating. He suggests that March find work aiding the “contraband” (formerly enslaved people who escaped to Union lines) instead.
The situation worsens when the colonel reveals that a man named Dr. McKillop has filed a complaint against March, accusing him of improper conduct with Grace. This accusation stems from an incident at the Clement plantation, where McKillop saw March embracing Grace. Though March insists his intentions were innocent, he recalls the moment vividly: he kissed Grace, but when she cried, shame overwhelmed him. The memory of Margaret brought March back to reality. Knowing his position in the regiment has become untenable, March submits a request for transfer.
Active
Themes
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In a letter to Margaret, March presents the transfer as a noble decision, claiming he feels called to help the formerly enslaved people. He hides the truth about his conflict with the colonel, his failure to connect with the soldiers, and the scandal with Grace. As he writes, he recognizes that his letter is a carefully crafted lie, meant to protect Margaret from the painful reality of his struggles.
