Summary
Five to Five
In the present, Tommo muses that there are only sixty-five minutes to go; he wonders what he should do. He decides that nothing he can do will help: Private Peaceful will die. Tommo hopes that the execution will occur in the midst of nature.
Tommo thinks back to the war. In the past, Tommo wakes to the sound of machine guns and another bombardment and hears Charlie's voice distantly. Tommo can't move, and he suddenly realizes that he must have been buried alive when the dugout collapsed from the bombardment. He decides to think of Molly until he dies.
Then, he hears Charlie's voice and heard the sound of digging. Charlie and the other men have managed to pull Tommo out of the earth, and Charlie tells Tommo to stay still because he has lost a lot of blood.
Tommo asks where they are, and Charlie replies that they're in an old dugout somewhere in no man's land, surrounded on all sides. Suddenly, Sergeant Hanley appears and says that he is the one who gives the orders around here. He says that the men will charge out when he gives the order and they will press the attack until they reach the German trenches.
Tommo whispers to Charlie that he's not sure he can make it with all of his injuries, and Charlie tells him that it's all right. Hanley gives the other to charge, but none of the men move. Charlie speaks for them, explaining that it will be certain death to charge out into that hail of bullets. Hanley tells Charlie that it will be a court-martial for him if he refuses to charge, along with death by firing squad. Charlie remains steadfast and says that he needs to stay with his brother Tommo, who has been wounded. Hanley threatens to shoot Charlie, but he doesn't: instead, he gathers the rest of the men and charges out into the night. Tommo and Charlie hear the screams and rifle fire and know that the charge has gone as poorly as expected.
Later in the night, Charlie wakes Tommo and tells him that he needs to look after things. He asks whether Tommo still loves Molly, and Tommo does not reply. Charlie dies Tommo the watch that Captain Wilkes gave him.
At some point, Hanley and a few of the other men return to the dugout, saying nothing. In the dark of the night, they make their way across no man's land to safety. Tommo is placed on a stretcher and watches Charlie taken away under arrest. He does not see his brother for six weeks until after the court-martial.
Tommo is allowed to see Charlie on the day before his execution. Charlie is in good spirits, content in his little cell. He shows Tommo a letter from Molly, who tells him all about baby Tommo's antics. Tommo asks if Molly knows, and Charlie says she doesn't. Charlie explains that the court-martial was short and they seemed to have decided he was guilty before it even began based on Hanley's testimony. It doesn't help that Charlie has a previous record of insubordination from the time he yelled at Hanley for driving Charlie until he collapsed. Additionally, Charlie's foot wound was suspicious because such injuries can be easily self-inflicted. The whole court-martial took less than an hour before Charlie was sentenced.
The two brothers share food and talk about old times. Tommo confesses to Charlie about his role in his father's death and how he feels responsible for it. Charlie replies that he already knew: Tommo talks in his sleep. Charlie gives Tommo some letters for the family and Tommo promises he will deliver them. They sing "Oranges and Lemons: together one last time, and Charlie tells Tommo that he will sing this song during his execution.
Tommo returns to camp to the ironic news that Hanley is dead, blown up by a grenade. The men in the regiment are pleased by this, but they are distressed that Charlie will be executed. When the hour of Charlie's execution comes, Tommo decides that he will stand outside so that the two brothers will be under the same sky.
One Minute to Six
Tommo imagines what Charlie acts like before his execution. He would not struggle or cry: instead, he would walk with his head held high. The firing squad is made up of men from the regiment who know and respect Charlie, and they just want to get this awful task done with.
Charlie will be tied to the post and a priest will say a prayer. They try to draw a hood over Charlie's head, but he won't have it. Tommo stands outside and sings "Oranges and Lemons," as he imagines Charlie is doing. Tommo hears the distant sound of guns and knows that his brother's life is over. He is happy to note that the birds are singing.
Tommo goes to collect Charlie's belongings the next day. The men tell him that Charlie refused the hood and died singing "Oranges and Lemons." Tommo visits the place where Charlie is buried, a serene spot that Tommo thinks he would have liked. A few of the soldiers stand vigil over the grave.
The next day the soldiers march toward the Sonne. They have been told that there will be one last push and then they will be done. Tommo is determined to survive because he has promises to keep.
Analysis
At the beginning o Five to Five, Tommo finally reveals what will happen at dawn: Private Peaceful will die, executed by firing squad for cowardice. However, Tommo does not specify that it is his brother Charlie who will die. This ambiguity actually serves to enhance and emphasize the connection between the two brothers: Tommo is so close to Charlie that it is almost like it is Tommo who is being executed in the morning. Interestingly, the scene that Tommo imagines for Charlie's execution matches reality perfectly. Tommo knows his brother so well that he knows exactly how he will behave when he is executed.
This section emphasizes the fundamental injustice faced by the many men who were executed for cowardice during World War I. Hanley, who accused Charlie of cowardice, was not only blatantly cruel but foolish as well. Charlie refused a poorly chosen and dangerous order. However, Hanley has the power to bring Charlie before a court-martial, which is much stricter than a regular court. Though Charlie is one of the bravest and kindest characters in the book, he is executed all the same.
Charlie saves Thomas from a great deal of danger on the battlefield. When Thomas becomes injured, Charlie never leaves his side, the paragon of faithfulness, and when commanded to reenter the battle Charlie, demonstrates his loyalty for Thomas. By this refusal to give his life on the battlefield, he dies a more meaningful death, a death demonstrating his love for Thomas. When he dies, he sings a silly song about "the last man dying." These are all indications that although the story is primarily about Tommo, and the novel is actually about what Charlie's sacrifice meant for Tommo.
Though he grieves it terribly, Charlie's death means that Tommo gets to be with the woman whom he loves most, raising a child whose life is a memory of Charlie's sacrifice for Tommo—a child who will be raised lovingly in the memory of a loved one. It does also mean that Tommo is a guardian of the child, but the child's real father is the one who made the great sacrifice. This is what a peaceful life means for Tommo: life with his beautiful best friend, Molly, while living in Charlie's memory.
