The "Oranges and Lemons" Song (Symbol)
As Charlie is facing his execution, he sings "Oranges and Lemons", which is a song that dates back centuries in England and has become a children's song. The lyrics attribute different questions and answers to the different church bells in central London. To Charlie, the song is a symbol of his childhood, home, and comfort, as it's a song he sang growing up.
Charlie as Christ (Allegory)
When Charlie is tied to the wheel of the cart, Tommo is reminded of the image of Christ being crucified. This image symbolizes Tommo's opinion that Charlie is being unjustly persecuted and that the "mob"—in this case, the rest of the regiment and the officers—is turning in him and his death sentence has come without a fair trial.
Bullying (Motif)
Bullying is a motif throughout the book; the brothers endure bullying at the hands of numerous nefarious people. It begins with Grandma Wolf and her bullying of the children, continued with the Colonel and his threats to evict the family from their cottage, and it continues throughout the boys' time in Etaples at the hands of Hanley. Each time, the bullying comes not from kids their own age, but rather from adults who are supposed to be in a position of care and guidance. Charlie tends to take a stand against this bullying whereas Tommo submits; eventually, that resistance causes Charlie's death.
Secrets (Motif)
The keeping of secrets is another common motif throughout the book. This includes the reader as well as the characters, as Tommo essentially keeps his current situation and Charlie's pending execution secret from the reader, sharing childhood memories and stories that don't disclose where he is now. Another secret is Molly and Charlie's relationship, which is kept secret because Charlie knows it will devastate Tommo; the birth of their child is also kept secret as much as possible, though Tommo is devastated anyway. There is also the secret that Tommo keeps about his role in his father's death, which he blames himself for. At the end of the book, it is finally revealed that the whole family knew about this since Tommo talked about it in his sleep, and they did not blame him for any of it. Finally, there is the "open secret" within the military and the War Office that the army is full of underage soldiers; this is kept from becoming public knowledge because it is viewed as a "necessary evil" in the war effort.
Animals (Symbols)
Animals, especially birds and mice, appear frequently throughout this work. Birds and larks appear to be symbols of the free soul; for example, during his father's funeral, Tommo recalls wishing that his father could hear the birds singing. Later on, Tommo spots a lark flying above no man's land, and this gives him hope.
Mice also appear as reminders of the comfort of home and are particularly associated with Big Joe. Molly gives him a mouse as a gift, which endears her to him greatly, even though Grandma Wolf later kills it. During Tommo's vigil on the night before Charlie's execution, he also sees a mouse and it makes him think of home.
The Foot (Symbol)
“Foot? What foot?” He patted his leg. “That’s not a foot, Tommo. That’s my ticket home. Some nice, kind Mister Fritz gave me the best present he could, a ticket home to Blighty. They’re sending me to a hospital back home. It’s a bit infected. Lots of bones broken, they said. It’ll mend, but it’ll take an operation, and then I’ve got to rest it up. So they’re packing me off tomorrow” (page 151).
Charlie sees his foot as symbolic of freedom since it means he will have to recuperate at home for a short period of time. However, this symbol of seeming freedom becomes a liability later on during Charlie's trial, when the higher-ups point out that foot injuries are commonly faked by deserters seeking to be sent home.
