Adam Barclay Character Analysis in Pale Horse, Pale Rider

Adam is Miranda’s love interest. He is a 24-year-old soldier during World War I. Miranda describes Adam as “all olive and tan and tawny, hay colored and sand colored from hair to boots.” He is tall and muscular. He cares about his appearance—he admits to Miranda that he gets his soldier’s uniform made by “the best tailor he could find.” Miranda initially paints Adam as the tall, dark, and handsome idealized man, though he’s far from perfect. He adores Miranda, but they don’t quite connect with each other all the time. Adam makes dark jokes about the fate that will likely await him if he is called to fight in the war, revealing that he is uncomfortable at the prospect and thus making light of it in order to avoid confronting his mortality head on. While Miranda is staunchly critical of the feigned acts of patriotism she sees in Denver, Adam is more sympathetic towards the things people need to do to feel less afraid and helpless in the face of the horrific war. Adam cares for Miranda when she first becomes sick. He brings her coffee and ice cream and water, and they sing and pray together. He kisses her on the mouth despite the risk of infection. When Miranda is moved to the hospital he is no longer allowed to visit her. After Miranda slips into unconsciousness, Adam is summoned to fight. At a military camp, he falls ill with influenza and dies. Adam’s death affects Miranda profoundly, and she grieves for him when she learns of his fate.

Adam Barclay Quotes in Pale Horse, Pale Rider

The Pale Horse, Pale Rider quotes below are all either spoken by Adam Barclay or refer to Adam Barclay. 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:

The Performance of Patriotism Theme Icon

“I don’t want to love,” she would think in spite of herself, “not Adam, there is no time and we are not ready for it and yet this is all we have—”

Related Characters: Miranda (speaker), Adam Barclay

Page Number and Citation: 292

Explanation and Analysis:

As Miranda waits for Adam to arrive to take her out, she frets over the rapidly growing affection she has for Adam. She declares boldly that she “[doesn’t] want to love” Adam in an attempt to convince herself out of her burgeoning affection. Adam may be called to fight in the war at any time, and there he will face the very real possibility of death. Miranda wants to protect herself from the grief that would come with Adam’s death, so she distances herself from him. She tries to provide herself with logical methods of persuasion, reasoning that “there 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. 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 c

“Adam,” she said, “the worst of war is the fear and suspicion and the awful expression in all the eyes you meet…as if they had pulled down the shutters over their minds and their hearts and were peering out at you, ready to leap if you make one gesture or say one word they do not understand instantly.”

Related Characters: Miranda (speaker), Adam Barclay, Bond Salesman

Related Symbols: Liberty Bonds

Page Number and Citation: 294

Explanation and Analysis:

Miranda and Adam are leaving a show that was interrupted by a bond salesman’s pitch. He gave a theatrical, clichéd speech, persuaded the audience to purchase Liberty Bonds, and then everybody joined together to sing “There’s a Long, Long Trail.” Miranda and Adam initially poke fun at the salesman’s self-importance and the audience’s willingness to buy into it, but the whole experience troubles Miranda, and she considers the salesman’s speech within the larger context of the psychological impact of World War I. War kills soldiers and civilians abroad, but it harms those back home, too. Miranda states that the war 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.

She wanted to say, “Adam, come out of your dream and listen to me. I have pains in my chest and my head and my heart and they’re real. I am in pain all over, and you are in such danger as I can’t bear it think about it, and why can we not save each other?”

Related Characters: Miranda (speaker), Adam Barclay

Page Number and Citation: 296

Explanation and Analysis:

Adam and Miranda are out together at a club, but Miranda is having a hard time distracting herself from the turmoil that surrounds her—she feels sick, there’s a war going on, and each new day fills the streets with yet another funeral procession. Unlike Miranda, though, Adam—along with many of the other club-goers—seems to be able to “Pack Up [His] Troubles,” as the song being played by the jazz orchestra invites them all to do. This quote illustrates an instance in which Miranda differentiates between what she would like to say versus the words she actually speaks. As Miranda and 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. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad

Miranda […] noticed a dark young pair sitting at a corner table, […] their heads together, their eyes staring at the same thing, whatever it was, that hovered in the space before them. Her right hand lay on the table, his hand over it, and her face was a blur with weeping. Now and then he raised her hand and kissed it […] They said not a word, and the small pantomime repeated itself, like a melancholy short film running monotonously over and over again. Miranda envied them. […] At least [the girl] can weep if that helps, and he does not even have to ask, What is the matter? Tell me.

Related Characters: Adam Barclay, Miranda

Page Number and Citation: 296

Explanation and Analysis:

While Miranda and Adam are dancing at a club, Miranda notices “a dark young pair sitting at a corner table.” She compares their relationship to her own—specifically, the degree to which the couple is able to communicate with one another and make themselves understood. Miranda marvels that they can communicate so much to one another without saying “a word.” She illustrates how great a feat this wordless communication is by emphasizing “the space before them.” She stresses that the man and the woman are two separate bodies—there is a “space before them” that sets them clearly apart—yet they are able 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 corpor

“Death always leaves one singer to mourn.”

Related Characters: Miranda (speaker), Adam Barclay

Related Symbols: Paleness

Page Number and Citation: 304

Explanation and Analysis:

While Miranda is sick in bed, Adam sits by her side and cares for her. Miranda suggests they sing a song called “Pale Horse, Pale Rider,” which Adam knows, as well. The song is sung from the perspective of a narrator who laments the passing of first his “mammy,” then his “pappy, brother, sister,” and eventually his “whole family,” as death (presented symbolically as the pale horse, pale rider) steals them away, one after the other. When Miranda says, “Death always leaves one singer to mourn,” she points to the crucial role the narrator plays in the song. Death kills 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

No more war, no more plague, only the dazed silence that follows the ceasing of the heavy guns; noiseless houses with the shades drawn, empty streets, the dead cold light of tomorrow. Now there would be time for everything.

Related Characters: Adam Barclay, Miranda

Page Number and Citation: 317

Explanation and Analysis:

This is the final paragraph of the story. By this point, Miranda has recovered from her illness and the hallucinations it caused, and the war is over. She should be happy, but she feels more disappointed than overjoyed. In comparison to the euphoria she experienced in her hallucinations, the real world seems dulled, hazy, and unreal. If Miranda felt alienated from others before her illness, the feeling is now magnified: how can she go on living when she knows how drab and unspectacular the mortal world is in comparison to the ecstasy of eternity? Plus, Adam is now dead. Miranda 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. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisc

Adam Barclay Character Timeline in Pale Horse, Pale Rider

The timeline below shows where the character Adam Barclay appears in Pale Horse, Pale Rider. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...decidedly gloomy, she observes, except for “the hour after midnight she had spent dancing with Adam.” Miranda reveals that she thinks of Adam, a soldier who’s recently moved into her building,... (full context)

To her surprise, Miranda finds Adam waiting in the hallway outside her apartment. “I don’t have to go back to camp... (full context)

The couple talks and smokes as they walk. Adam smokes nonstop despite his knowledge of the health concerns of smoking. “But,” he argues, “does... (full context)

Over lunch, Miranda tells Adam that she “feel[s] too rotten. It can’t just be the weather, and the war.” Adam... (full context)

...to work, so the couple part ways “until tonight.” Miranda turns around as she leaves Adam, explaining that “she could not help turning sometimes for one glimpse more of the person... (full context)

...“getting ready to leave [the newspaper.]” Miranda then revisits the anxieties she’d expressed earlier to Adam, as she thinks to herself, “Something terrible is going to happen to me.” (full context)

Miranda waits in the cloakroom for Adam to arrive and daydreams: “there was nothing to think about him, after all. There was... (full context)

The show they see is horrible, but Miranda and Adam enjoy one another’s company. Before the third act can begin, the curtain rises and gives... (full context)

...salesman “Just another nasty old man who would like to see the young ones killed.” Adam is more sympathetic to the salesman, though, asking, “What could you expect of him, Miranda?”... (full context)

Later that night, Adam and Miranda sit at a table listening to a jazz orchestra play at a club.... (full context)

...Miranda wakes up in bed knowing somehow that she’s “been asleep for a long time.” Adam appears before her. He reveals that he’s been “called back suddenly to camp.” He called... (full context)

Miranda tells Adam what she can recall of the hazy recent events: she called in sick to work.... (full context)

...what the illness means for her. She hallucinates, reflects on memories, and thinks about dying. Adam returns with Miranda’s medicine. Miranda runs into Miss Hobbe in the hallway and tells her... (full context)

Adam and Miranda both vaguely remember the song “Pale Horse, Pale Rider.” They sing what they... (full context)

Miranda tells Adam that she loves him. Adam admits that he loves Miranda, too. Hearing these words aloud... (full context)

After this dizzying exchange, Miranda “float[s] into the darkness” into sleep. She dreams that Adam is in a small wood “full of inhuman concealed voices singing sharply like the whine... (full context)

Miranda wakes up and Adam is again by her side. He consoles her but shushes her as she tries to... (full context)

The next time Miranda regains consciousness, she is in the hospital and Adam is nowhere to be found. As Miranda dips in and out of consciousness, she repeatedly... (full context)

...the living.” In a letter from a strange man who was at a camp with Adam, Miranda learns that Adam died of influenza over a month ago. (full context)

Miranda prepares to leave the hospital. She tries to summon forth Adam’s image before her eyes. Though she can feel his overwhelming presence, she fails to summon... (full context)

Adam Barclay Character Analysis

Adam Barclay Quotes in Pale Horse, Pale Rider

Pale Horse, Pale Rider Quotes

Adam Barclay Character Timeline in Pale Horse, Pale Rider