Some in the village, only a very few now and fewer as each year goes by, remember Joey as he was. His story is written so that neither he nor those who knew him, nor the war they lived and died in, will be forgotten.
This quotation emphasizes that War Horse is meant as an act of commemoration. Of course, it is unlikely that an event as momentous as World War I will ever be erased from human memory, but Morpurgo's book does not set out to offer a standard account of this war in any case. Rather, the book serves as an account of Joey the horse "and those who knew him," providing an on-the-ground view of the uncertainty and brutality of war. Such use of perspective offers much more than a standard history. The same can be said of the book's emphasis on horses, since World War I is remembered for the new technology that appeared on the battlefield—not necessarily for the lingering battlefield tactics, such as cavalry warfare, which seemed like relics of older times.
His whistle imitated the stuttering of an owl—it was a call I never refused, and would never forget.
Albert and Joey had an instantaneous bond; their connection was the reason that Albert joined the army in the first place, enlisting early in order to go to France and find his equine soul mate. Although Joey had the coloring and markings that Albert constantly referred to, it was not until he reacted to the owl-like whistle that Albert realized he had indeed found his horse again. Upon rereading, it becomes clear that this early reference to the owl call sets the stage for one of the crucial, climactic scenes of War Horse.
Captain Nicholls and Captain Stewart were rarely apart. They seemed somehow separate in spirit from their fellow officers.
Joey observed that there was false jollity among the majority of the soldiers and that they seemed to believe that the war would be over quickly. Both Captain Nicholls and Captain Stewart, however, were more cerebral and understood the futility of what they were being asked to do. They did not sympathize with the troops' excitement about getting to the battlefield because they realized that they were killing men similar to themselves, not the men who had actually started the war. As Joey's perceptions indicate, the spirits of these two leaders were more filled with fear and apprehension than with enthusiasm and adrenaline.
"What a waste," the Captain said. "What a ghastly waste. Maybe now when they see this they'll understand that you can't send horses into wire and machine guns. Maybe now they'll think again."
Captain Stewart was frustrated by the ineptitude of the generals who drew up the battle strategy and sent the British troops into battle almost destined to lose. The horses became tangled in the barbed wire defenses, making the mounted soldiers vulnerable; the strategy was ill-considered and, indeed, unsuccessful. Captain Stewart was justifiably angry at the needless slaughter of so many men and horses. In this respect, he is a symbol for the anti-war ideals of War Horse, a book that frequently calls attention to the absurdity and futility of war.
"I am the only same man in the regiment. It's the others who are crazy but they don't know it. They fight a war and they don't know what for. Isn't that crazy?"
Friedrich was thought to be crazy by his fellow soldiers because he talked to Joey and Topthorn, a habit which the other Germans interpreted as Friedrich talking to himself. He also made no effort to hide his disillusionment with the war, including the fact that nobody could explain why they were actually fighting. Friedrich's desire was to go home and resume his life as a butcher; his "craziness" was, in fact, little more than an expression of reasonable anxiety over his fate and of nonconformity based on sound principles.
"In an hour, maybe two, we will be trying our best again each other to kill. God only knows why we do it and I think He has maybe forgotten why. Goodbye, Welshman. We have shown them, haven't we? We have shown that any problem can be solved between people if only they trust each other."
When Joey becomes trapped in No Man's Land, a German soldier and a British soldier work together to free him. Although they have been trying to kill each other as part of a military conflict, they are unsure as to why they are at war in the first place; during their conversation, they actually find themselves to be similar men, following the same orders for opposing sides. The war has been so long and bloody that the original reason for it is forgotten; now, it is just war for war's sake. Through their humane interactions, the two soldiers show that, by establishing communication and mutual trust, they can accomplish much and reach the kind of accord that their leaders seem unable to attain.
"No, my child, we knew it might happen one day, didn't we? We talked about it often enough, didn't we? We knew they would go one day. Now, I want no tears in front of these people. You're to be proud and strong like your brother was, and I'll not have you weaken in front of them. Go and say your good-byes to the horses, Emilie, and be brave."
The concept of bravery appears in various forms in War Horse, most prominently in the actions of the English soldiers and their horses. Here, though, Emilie is encouraged to "be brave" by her grandfather. In deciding to hand Joey and Topthorn over to the Germans, she exhibits bravery and character in special ways: she accepts her fate (even though it is unpleasant) and speaks assertively when giving the horses themselves to the soldiers. War can upend the lives of individuals, such as Emilie and her grandfather, who take little part in the hostilities. However, war can also create opportunities, as Emilie's grandfather indicates, to exhibit strength of character.
"That's what I came all this way for, and I'm going to find him. Either I'll find him, or he'll find me. I told you, I made him a promise, and I'm going to keep it."
Albert's involvement in the war is profoundly personal, since—as he here explains to David—he joined the war effort with the main intent of finding Joey. This is not to say that Albert's reasoning is small-minded or selfish. In fact, he was willing to go overseas when Joey was first given to Captain Nicholls, and he proves his bravery by making ambulance trips to the front. Albert's competence as a soldier is nonetheless accompanied by an idealism that seems in some ways unjustified—until Joey's identity is revealed, mere minutes after Albert declares anew that "I'm going to find him."
The days passed slowly and painfully for me. The stiffness in my front legs spread to my back and intensified; my appetite was becoming more limited each day, and I could scarcely summon the energy or enthusiasm to suck in the food I knew I needed to stay alive. In the darkest days of my illness, when I felt sure each day might be my last, only Albert's constant presence kept alive in me the will to live.
Despite the hardships and horrors of war, Joey has been blessed with kind companions who keep his spirits strong. Topthorn, Trooper Warren, and Friedrich were a few such friends, but Albert—as Joey's first friend and true master—is his greatest source of motivation. When faced with a deadly case of tetanus, Joey needs Albert's presence more than ever. The horse makes a full recovery, and he seems aware that his "will to live" might have failed had Albert not been there as an inspiration.
And so I came home from the war that Christmastime with my Albert riding me up into the village, and there to greet us was the silver band from the village and the rapturous pealing of the church bells. Both of us were received like conquering heroes, but we both knew that the real heroes had not come home, that they were lying out in France alongside Captain Nicholls, Topthorn, Friedrich, David, and little Emilie.
In its "Author's Note," War Horse is situated as a novel that commemorates those who died in World War I and who have perhaps been forgotten. With this quote, which appears near the end of the novel, Joey emphasizes the importance of remembering the virtues of those who lost their lives in the war. Such losses do not undermine the joy that accompanies Joey's return. The message here is that a sense of balance in times of loss is necessary: life must continue on, but that the dead must be honored in memory and affection.
