Small Island: Chapter 35: Bernard Summary & Analysis

In a flashback, Bernard describes his time in the RAF. He’s deployed to India, and he arrives in Bombay to a bewildering chaos of beggars, street vendors, and rowdy children. Bernard’s comrades jeer at the Indians, considering them savages. He’s happy to get on the train, which makes him feel as though he’s back in England.

Queenie hadn’t wanted Bernard to join up until he was conscripted. However, Bernard knew that if he was drafted, he’d go into the infantry, which is much more dangerous than the RAF. When he enlists, he’s assigned to ground crew, rather than a glamorous pilot position. He’s a little disappointed, because he would have liked to return home to Queenie as a proud and dashing pilot. He knows that she too would enjoy having such a heroic figure as a husband.

When Bernard’s unit reaches the base, he’s unceremoniously thrown from the truck into the ground. Everyone runs for cover, as the truck has arrived in the middle of a Japanese air-raid. Bernard lands on top of another soldier in a trench, and another man crashes onto him. When the bombing stops, they hurry to clear away some Japanese planes that have been shot down. A British pilot lands and announces to applause that another Japanese plane has crash-landed not far away. A friendly soldier next to Bernard introduces himself as Maxi, and explains that these bombings happen every day.

A unit of Indian troops (Gurkhas) captures a Japanese pilot and bring him to the camp. To Bernard, the pilot looks to be no older than twelve or thirteen; he’s impervious to the jeers of the soldiers as he walks by. Maxi tells Bernard that he will be shot.