Regeneration

by

Pat Barker

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Regeneration: Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Sassoon meets Graves outside and shows him to his guest room, remarking that he hates it here at Craiglockhart. Later, Graves meets with Rivers to discuss Sassoon and vouch for his character, saying that Sassoon is the best platoon commander he knows and his men love him. Being court-martialed would separate Sassoon from his men, which would “kill him,” so Graves lied to Sassoon to convince him to accept the medical board. Rivers suspected as much, but is surprised to hear that Graves agrees with Sassoon’s view of the war, yet feels that this is the wrong way to make his protest. Moreover, he feels that Sassoon was wrongly co-opted and used by other pacifists he was in contact with, namely Bertrand Russell and Ottoline Morrell. At least while Sassoon is at Craiglockhart, Graves can feel that his friend is safe.
Sassoon’s depiction as a brave and exceptional soldier who is well-loved by his men nods to both themes of masculinity as well as male relationships, indicating that the two will often be explored interconnecting. Sassoon’s character demonstrates that even masculine, dutiful, courageous men may feel love for other men, and Graves’s easy admission of the fact of this love demonstrates that, in the context of warfare and camaraderie, society is quite happy to accept such love and male relationships. Again, Graves’s lying to Sassoon suggests he cares more about protecting Sassoon than about his protest.
Themes
Masculinity, Expectations, and Psychological Health Theme Icon
War, Duty, and Loyalty Theme Icon
Male Relationships Theme Icon
Graves leaves, and Rivers reads through three poems that Sassoon gave to him, which he wrote while he was recovering from an injury in an army hospital. One is about being injured in war and covered in blood; the next about a cheery general who gets all his soldiers killed; and the third is a satirical celebration of war, titled “To the Warmongers.” Rivers feels utterly inept to judge the literary quality, but as a therapist he finds it intriguing that while most patients spend all their energy trying to repress and forget their trauma, Sassoon seems to lean into it as a form of therapy. Rivers worries then that convincing Sassoon to return to combat may be risky, or even cause a full breakdown.
Sassoon’s unique qualities as a patient foreshadow the fact that he will be Rivers’s single most impactful patient, shifting Rivers’s view of himself, his work, and the war. Sassoon’s desire to lean into the war and its horrors rather than run from it not only proves that his protest is not based in fear or cowardice, but also foreshadows his angst at being away from combat and his eventual voluntary return, in spite of his ethical objections.
Themes
War, Duty, and Loyalty Theme Icon
Trauma and Mental Illness Theme Icon