Private Peaceful

by

Michael Morpurgo

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Charlie is Tommo and Big Joe’s brother, Mrs. Peaceful’s son, and Molly’s eventual husband. He is presented as a fiercely loyal and brave figure throughout the novel. He consistently sticks up for Tommo and those he cares about, and always does what’s right. He defends Tommo from bullies at school, and later in the war he again defends Tommo against the terrible Sergeant Hanley. Tommo is often inspired by Charlie’s bravery, and signs up to fight in the war because Charlie does. Ultimately, however, Charlie pays the price for his loyalty and bravery when he is executed for refusing to obey Hanley’s suicidal orders, which would have meant abandoning a gravely injured Tommo on the battlefield for a pointless mission. Hanley hated Charlie from the first time they met, because Charlie wasn’t afraid to stand up to Hanley, and Hanley couldn’t handle this threat to his authority. By contrast, Charlie is very loyal to his second commander, Captain Wilkes, because Wilkes is respectful and kind to his men. Charlie ends up bravely rescuing Wilkes when he is injured, and Wilkes leaves him his golden watch as a thank you. He also remains loyal in his love for Molly, sticking by her and marrying her when she falls pregnant, even when Molly’s mother and Molly’s father reject her. Charlie is briefly injured during the war, meaning that he gets sent back to England for a little while (much to Tommo’s chagrin, as he has to remain in France) and manages to meet his newborn baby, Little Tommo. He only meets his child once, however, as Charlie is killed shortly afterwards. Charlie is always poised and dignified, even in the face of fear. He accepts punishment with his head held high, and even as he is executed he keeps a smile on his face. His bravery inspires Tommo to survive the war and to take courage himself.

Charlie Peaceful Quotes in Private Peaceful

The Private Peaceful quotes below are all either spoken by Charlie Peaceful or refer to Charlie Peaceful . 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 Injustice of War Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

A swallow swoops over our heads all through the prayers, all through the hymns, flitting from window to window, from the belfry to the altar, looking for some way out. And I know for certain it is Father trying to escape. I know it because he told us more than once that in his next life he’d like to be a bird, so he could fly free wherever he wanted.

Related Characters: Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful (speaker), Charlie Peaceful , Tommo’s Mother / Mrs. Peaceful, Big Joe Peaceful , Tommo’s Father / Mr. Peaceful
Related Symbols: Birds
Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

Big Jimmy gets it first, and he keeps crying out: “Ow, sir! Ow, sir! Ow, sir!” But when it’s Charlie’s turn, all we hear are the whacks, and then the silences in between. I am so proud of him for that. I have the bravest brother in the world.

Related Characters: Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful (speaker), Jimmy Parsons (speaker), Charlie Peaceful , Mr. Munnings
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

“He wouldn’t do that, Moll. It’s just a threat,” Charlie said. “He can’t do it. He just can’t.”

“He would,” Molly replied, “and he can. You know he can. And when the Colonel gets it into his head to do something, and he’s in the mood to do it, he will. Look what he did to Bertha. He means it, Charlie.”

Related Characters: Charlie Peaceful (speaker), Molly (speaker), The Colonel
Page Number: 101
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

I feel a surge of triumph welling inside me, not because we have won, but because I have stood with the others. I have not run.

Y’aint a coward, are you?”

No, old woman, I am not. I am not.

Related Characters: Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful (speaker), Charlie Peaceful
Page Number: 146
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

“The whole court martial took less than an hour, Tommo. That’s all they gave me. An hour for a man’s life. Not a lot, is it? And do you know what the brigadier said, Tommo? He said I was a worthless man. Worthless. I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, Tommo, but none of them ever upset me, except that one. I didn’t show it, mind. I wouldn’t have given them the satisfaction.”

Related Characters: Charlie Peaceful (speaker), Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful, Sergeant “Horrible” Hanley
Page Number: 188
Explanation and Analysis:

It is the moment. I have to do it now. It is my last chance. I tell him about how Father had died, about how it had happened, what I had done, how I should have told him years ago, but had never dared to. He smiles. “I always knew that, Tommo. So did Mother. You’d talk in your sleep. Always having nightmares, always keeping me awake about it, you were. All nonsense. Not your fault. It was the tree that killed Father, Tommo, not you.”

Related Characters: Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful (speaker), Charlie Peaceful (speaker), Tommo’s Mother / Mrs. Peaceful, Tommo’s Father / Mr. Peaceful
Page Number: 189
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

They tell me he walked out with a smile on his face as if he were going for an early-morning stroll. They tell me that he refused the hood, and that they thought he was singing when he died.

Related Characters: Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful (speaker), Charlie Peaceful
Related Symbols: “Oranges and Lemons”
Page Number: 194-195
Explanation and Analysis:
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Charlie Peaceful Quotes in Private Peaceful

The Private Peaceful quotes below are all either spoken by Charlie Peaceful or refer to Charlie Peaceful . 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 Injustice of War Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

A swallow swoops over our heads all through the prayers, all through the hymns, flitting from window to window, from the belfry to the altar, looking for some way out. And I know for certain it is Father trying to escape. I know it because he told us more than once that in his next life he’d like to be a bird, so he could fly free wherever he wanted.

Related Characters: Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful (speaker), Charlie Peaceful , Tommo’s Mother / Mrs. Peaceful, Big Joe Peaceful , Tommo’s Father / Mr. Peaceful
Related Symbols: Birds
Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

Big Jimmy gets it first, and he keeps crying out: “Ow, sir! Ow, sir! Ow, sir!” But when it’s Charlie’s turn, all we hear are the whacks, and then the silences in between. I am so proud of him for that. I have the bravest brother in the world.

Related Characters: Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful (speaker), Jimmy Parsons (speaker), Charlie Peaceful , Mr. Munnings
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

“He wouldn’t do that, Moll. It’s just a threat,” Charlie said. “He can’t do it. He just can’t.”

“He would,” Molly replied, “and he can. You know he can. And when the Colonel gets it into his head to do something, and he’s in the mood to do it, he will. Look what he did to Bertha. He means it, Charlie.”

Related Characters: Charlie Peaceful (speaker), Molly (speaker), The Colonel
Page Number: 101
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

I feel a surge of triumph welling inside me, not because we have won, but because I have stood with the others. I have not run.

Y’aint a coward, are you?”

No, old woman, I am not. I am not.

Related Characters: Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful (speaker), Charlie Peaceful
Page Number: 146
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

“The whole court martial took less than an hour, Tommo. That’s all they gave me. An hour for a man’s life. Not a lot, is it? And do you know what the brigadier said, Tommo? He said I was a worthless man. Worthless. I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, Tommo, but none of them ever upset me, except that one. I didn’t show it, mind. I wouldn’t have given them the satisfaction.”

Related Characters: Charlie Peaceful (speaker), Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful, Sergeant “Horrible” Hanley
Page Number: 188
Explanation and Analysis:

It is the moment. I have to do it now. It is my last chance. I tell him about how Father had died, about how it had happened, what I had done, how I should have told him years ago, but had never dared to. He smiles. “I always knew that, Tommo. So did Mother. You’d talk in your sleep. Always having nightmares, always keeping me awake about it, you were. All nonsense. Not your fault. It was the tree that killed Father, Tommo, not you.”

Related Characters: Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful (speaker), Charlie Peaceful (speaker), Tommo’s Mother / Mrs. Peaceful, Tommo’s Father / Mr. Peaceful
Page Number: 189
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

They tell me he walked out with a smile on his face as if he were going for an early-morning stroll. They tell me that he refused the hood, and that they thought he was singing when he died.

Related Characters: Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful (speaker), Charlie Peaceful
Related Symbols: “Oranges and Lemons”
Page Number: 194-195
Explanation and Analysis: