Major Glendinning is a tough, unsympathetic man who speaks contemptuously of the Irish men under his command. He is determined to turn them into soldiers as quickly as possible and believes the Irish are overly emotional and unfit to govern themselves. While Major Glendinning maintains a stern demeanor, he also shoulders great responsibility for his men as their commander during war.

2. Our First Impressions of Major
Glendinning are that he is a tough,
unsympathetic man.
He speaks contemptuously of the
Irish men he has been assigned,
calling them ‘illiterate peasants,
rascals and schoolboys’.
Major Glendinning is determined to
turn them into soldiers as quickly as
possible.

3. When he is telling
Major Glendinning’s Alec about an
primary concern is upcoming attack, he
the outcome of the says that “There
war . must be no flaw in
the machinery”.
He blames Alec’s
Major Glendinning
Irishness for the fact
believes that the
that he is friendly
Irish are an overly-
with Jerry and his
emotional race and
refusal to take his
that this makes them
advice on the subject
unfit to govern
of men and officers
themselves.
fraternising.

4. Major
Like Alicia, Glendinning
Major shares Alicia’s
Glendinning contempt for
likes to keep the peasant
up the Irish and he
Major too wants to
Glendinning’s appearance
and habits make a man of
habits are Alec and
startlingly of the upper
class. separate him
similar to those from Jerry
of Alicia Moore. Crowe.

5. As the Major is not the
type of person to It is easy to view
tolerate failure or Major Glendinning
weakness, it is safe to say as a cruel, heartless
that he would have no man but he is a
further interest in Alec, product of the career
nor would he wish to he has chosen.
speak to him before his
execution.
Although he is a soldier, When he is in the
the horrors of the First
World War and the war he is forced to
scale of the human make harsh
losses are unlike decisions about the
anything he would have men in his charge.
experienced before.

6. Final Impression Of Major Glendinning
I must take account of
My final impressions
the fact that
Our final impression of Major Glendinning
Glendinning is not of
of Major Glendinning involve a mix of The major may have
this century, but was
is of a determined, loathing at his traces of compassion
a soldier in the first
inflexible man who apparent British but he works hard to
world war. As such, he
has thrown himself upper-class snobbery suppress any feelings
is a man with
wholeheartedly into and yet an admiration which may lead him
responsibilities. Our
the war and has at how he appears to to have sympathy
initial meeting with
decided that the best run his charges, as with his men and
Glendinning in the
way to achieve one with the sees them as
book shows I believe,
success is not to responsibility on individuals rather
a man that is acting
question orders from Glendinning’s than part of the war
according to his role
those in a position of shoulders should machine.
requirements and not
authority. most likely do.
only to his social
upbringing.

7. The End
By
Daniel Lambert
&
Sean O’Grady