Character guide for Private Peaceful.
The narrator. Younger, quieter and more reflective than his brother Charlie. His love for Charlie is absolute. He narrates the night of Charlie's execution by recalling their shared life, slowly revealing what is happening.
Bold, brave, protective and principled. Charlie refuses to follow an order he knows will lead to unnecessary deaths. His execution for 'cowardice' is one of the great injustices in Morpurgo's fiction — and in real history.
A childhood friend who grows up alongside Tommo and Charlie. She marries Charlie and they have a son together. Her presence throughout the novel represents the life and love that war threatens to destroy.
The villainous commanding officer who persecutes Charlie throughout their time in the trenches and is ultimately responsible for his court-martial. He represents the worst kind of authority — cruel, cowardly and vindictive.
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