Private Peaceful

by

Michael Morpurgo

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Private Peaceful makes teaching easy.

Little Les James Character Analysis

A friend of Tommo’s from his village, who ends up in the same company as him in the war. At home he is a rat-catcher, a skill that comes in handy in the war when he is able to clear the company’s trench of rats. He is killed in action not long after the company arrive in France, when they are ordered to investigate a German trench.
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Little Les James Character Timeline in Private Peaceful

The timeline below shows where the character Little Les James appears in Private Peaceful. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8: Fourteen Minutes Past Two
The Injustice of War Theme Icon
...who was a turnip farmer), Pete Bovey (a well-built thatcher and avid cider drinker), and Les James (a rat-catcher). They have fun at the training camp, as nothing is taken too seriously,... (full context)
Chapter 9: A Minute Past Three
The Injustice of War Theme Icon
...inevitably arrive anyway, and Tommo is the first to discover a nest of them. Luckily, Little Les from their village was a rat-catcher at home, and he easily kills the rats until... (full context)
Courage Theme Icon
...turn for patrol comes, and he is slated to go with Charlie, Nipper Martin, Pete, Little Les , and Captain “Wilkie” Wilkes. Tommo finds he is “not so much frightened as excited”... (full context)
Courage Theme Icon
...chaos and the firing of guns from all sides. When Tommo edges closer, he sees Little Les lying dead on the ground. All of the Germans except one are also dead. (full context)
The Injustice of War Theme Icon
Religion and Faith Theme Icon
...between the German and the English. Later that night, Tommo finds himself not thinking of Little Les , as he supposes he ought to be, but instead of the German prisoner. He... (full context)