In contrast to this there are two characters in the play that are nothing but cheery all the way through, despite the imminent big attack and the whole depressing status of living in the trenches. These are Private Mason and Trotter. They are both from a working class background, as is made apparent in their speech, and they both display the cheerful, cheeky “cockney sparrow” type of stereotype that many people pictured during the war. This is a sharp contrast to Hibbert and even Stanhope who are both from upper class backgrounds and who struggle to handle the pressures of the war. They admit this fact to each other in a highly-strung argument between the two when Hibbert tries to go to the hospital under the pretence of having neuralgia. They both admit, at this point, how they cannot handle the pressure of the war and how they are both scared. Stanhope deals with this by drinking, and trying not to show emotion to anyone apart from Osborne who he says is the only man he could talk to “man to man”.
There is a huge amount of tension, throughout the play, among the inhabitants of the dugout and it is usually Mason who breaks this. He comes into the dugout during awkward pauses and often breaks them by introducing the subject of food into the conversation. The officers readily discuss this, especially Trotter who often shares a friendly banter with Mason about what’s for dinner when there is a high-tension moment happening around them. Also it is usually Mason who relights the candles in the dugout. This is symbolic to the fact that he is usually the one to break the tension. At the beginning of the scene, when all the candles are out, Mason is framed in the doorway against the Very lights, before he lights the candles and wakes Stanhope up. This is depicting the way he is breaking the tension from the previous nights argument and how he is cheering everyone up, be it with hot tea or with his tactful handling of Hibbert later on.
In the final part of the scene we see how the relationship between Stanhope and Raleigh is more that just professional. As Stanhope hears news of men getting wounded, he acts calmly and plans the best course of action to help them, but when he hears of Raleigh’s injuring he is affected by his friendship with Raleigh and orders him to be brought down to the officers dugout, which may not be the best idea as is shown when the Sergeant-Major asks Stanhope to confirm the order. When Raleigh is brought down, Sherriff tries to hit home the fact that Raleigh is still a boy in many respects. This is started when “the Sergeant-Major comes carefully down the steps carrying Raleigh like a child” and is carried on throughout the rest of the scene when Raleigh is frequently referred to as “boy” and Raleigh’s naivety about his injury, likening it to a rugby injury.
Also in this scene we see Stanhope call Raleigh by his Christian name for the first time in the play this shows us how the two are more than comrades in arms, they are friends. This is carried through to the conversation they have while Raleigh is on what turns out to be his deathbed. There are many awkward pauses as Stanhope is obviously uncomfortable in that sort of situation. He tries to break the silences by getting up at every available opportunity to get Raleigh tea, water etc.
Coming to the end in the scene we see “the rosy red glow of the Very lights deepen to an angry red colour”. This is to prepare us for the impact of what happens next, and also it represents the anger felt by Stanhope when Raleigh dies. When Stanhope gets no reply from Raleigh it is apparent that he is dead. Stanhope is struck by this and he sits down and does not move. He is distant from anyone else as is shown when he is called up to the line by the Private. It takes the soldier two attempts to get Stanhope attention.
At the end of the play Sherriff leaves it to the audiences imagination about what happens to the rest of the company, not telling us if they live or die. This is an adequately dramatic ending, in keeping with the rest of the play in which much is left to the imagination of the audience, and relies on them making assumptions and drawing conclusions. It is not known whether Stanhope comes out of this alive, the chance is slim but there is hope.
