Small Island: Chapter 36: Bernard Summary & Analysis

Maxi takes Bernard with him on a salvage trip—an expedition to salvage parts from a British plane that crash-landed in the hills. Bernard is proud to be chosen for this important job and to have a sense of purpose. He and Maxi get along well because they’re both older than most of the soldiers, and both work as clerks in England. On their hike, they have an argument about Japanese character: Maxi argues that they are more intelligent and wily than they get credit for, while Bernard believes they function according to dumb obedience, and will thus be unable to win the war.

Once they’ve set off, Bernard realizes how dense and unpleasant the jungle is, full of flies and mosquitos. It takes hours to find the plane and by the time they reach it, it’s dark and they decide to camp out. Maxi shares his blanket with Bernard, and they reminisce about old stories, like the time that Maxi dreamed he was being bitten by a snake and woke up the entire room with his screaming.

Suddenly Bernard hears a voice calling out, “Johnny, come and help me.” Maxi says it’s the Japanese trying to trick them into revealing their position, and the men grab their guns and put out their cigarettes. For hours, they sit in the dark, afraid to fall asleep. Maxi tells Bernard about his plans for life after the war: he wants to breed rabbits, and he enlists Bernard as a partner. By dawn, they have their entire business plan outlined.

On their way back to the base, Bernard and Maxi get completely lost; hearing foreign voices, they’re again frightened of ambush. However, when Maxi sees them, he realizes they’re from a friendly Indian town, and after some negotiating, the men guide them back to the camp. When they return, the army officer is frankly surprised that they made it out alive, and tells them that the war with Germany is over, and the armed forces will concentrate their power on fighting the Japanese now.