Guardsman McHugh Character Analysis in My Boy Jack

McHugh is a member of the Irish Guards, serving alongside Bowe and Doyle. An individualistic, selfish man, he doesn’t respect the fact that Jack is his lieutenant and, as a result, often defies his orders. This is because McHugh dislikes the idea of a Protestant from England commanding a company of Irish Catholics, having trouble putting this cultural division aside in order to present a united front against Germany. In this sense, McHugh has qualities that are in direct opposition to how Rudyard thinks people should behave. Whereas Rudyard believes in the value of personal sacrifice when it serves a greater good, McHugh thinks only of himself—something that becomes quite apparent when he runs away to save himself after Jack gets injured in battle.

Guardsman McHugh Character Timeline in My Boy Jack

The timeline below shows where the character Guardsman McHugh appears in My Boy Jack. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Patriotism and the British Empire Theme Icon

...the Western Front. The sound of rain is interrupted by a huge nearby explosion, unsettling McHugh, who cautiously peers over the ledge of the trench to see what’s happening. When he... (full context)

...feet so he can check for trench foot. Bowe and Doyle follow his orders, but McHugh ignores him. Jack keeps making his rounds through the trench, giving other men grease and... (full context)

...goes to get Bowe a pair of dry socks, but before he leaves, he tells McHugh that his boots better be off when he comes back. Once he’s gone, McHugh starts... (full context)

Hours later, it’s still raining. Bowe, Doyle, and McHugh wait for Jack to come around with their portions of rum. Bowe is oscillating between... (full context)

McHugh hits Bowe in the face. Just then, Jack appears, but it’s unclear if he saw... (full context)

...Bowe can’t get his pack onto his shoulders, complaining that it’s too heavy. He begs McHugh for help, but McHugh ignores him. Meanwhile, Doyle realizes there’s mud in his rifle and... (full context)

...Jack tells him he doesn’t have to carry it across the battlefield—a fact that makes McHugh jealous. (full context)

...blaring through the trenches. He and the rest of the men charge onto the battlefield, McHugh and Doyle screaming in unison as they go. (full context)

...Bowe says. On the day in question—which Rudyard identifies as the Battle of Loos—Bowe and McHugh ended up lying in a “shell hole” for a long time with another dead soldier.... (full context)

McHugh didn’t want to keep going, despite Jack’s orders. But Jack said that the men had... (full context)

...his face blown off. He was still alive, and Bowe wanted to help him, but McHugh jumped into the hole and told Bowe to run. Bowe tried to get him to... (full context)