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Characters, Journey's End - Coggle Diagram
Characters, Journey's End
Stanhope
Good leader
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He is empathetic, even though sometimes he comes off as cold
He is responsible. When the other soldiers go home, he stays at the front line
Osborne says,"He's a long way the best company commander we've got"
Caring and loving
He is very compassionate and he has a lot of concern for his men. He wants them to stay safe and healthy
He doesn't want his family to know about his drinking habits because he doesn't want to hurt their feelings and this also shows how much he loves them.
Brave
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He had to give up his youth for a war that completely changed him - this requires valour which he clearly displays
Osborne recognises his bravery and this is shown when he says, 'He's never had rest.' 'commanding this company for three years.'
Imperfect and flawed
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He is an alcoholic and is embarrassed by it and this is the main reason he doesn't want to go home 'drinking like a fish'
He also threatens to kill Hibbert and calls him cowardly for trying to avoid the battle. This gives us an insight into his dark side.
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Scared, but he resists his fear
Workaholic - maybe he distracts himself with his work because if he didn't, he wouldn't know who he truly is and he would let all the hardships of war finally get to him.
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Osborne
Loyal
He was loyal to Stanhope despite all his flaws, he sees them and knows the reason behind them as well. He did not judge Stanhope based on half the story, he made sure to know all the horrors of his life and this is why he refuses to criticise Stanhope.
He is a bit older than the other soldiers and serves as a fatherly figure to a number of the officers in Stanhope's infantry. So much so that he gives them advice about how to make the best out of trying circumstances.
Osborne is Stanhope’s second in command. His loyalty - despite Stanhope’s flaws - remains throughout. He makes it clear to the audience that Stanhope is an exceptional soldier and he stands by him.
By showing loyalty to Stanhope he gives others a lesson as well, not to judge based on first impressions.
Brave
As a soldier, they make immense sacrifices and risk everything for their country and its survival. It takes courage, compassion and most of all bravery to become a soldier and to go through the hardest time of your life. Given Osborne’s age he wouldn't have been recruited, he would have volunteered. This would have increased a 1928 audience's respect for him, showing his bravery in giving his life for his country.
We see him reading from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - he comforts himself with this childhood book and uses it as a distraction from the horrors of the war. This doesn’t make Osborne weak or sensitive, it makes him strong and heroic to be able to distract yourself from something disturbing and comforting yourself and then coming back even stronger.
He accepts his fate with an “Oh” when he is told he will be involved and right up to the end - despite his fear - he does his duty bravely. This shows he is ready to take on anything in life, he is brave enough to accept his fate and go with it.
We find out that Osborne is a middle-aged man with 'iron-grey hair'. Osborne however is physically in very good shape and is a 'tall, thin man' who is 'physically as hard as nails.' This implies that he is suited for the war, having the strength and maturity.
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Respected
Stanhope and the others call him “Uncle” as a sign of respect, we can see that in the company everyone holds him in high esteem.
He is a middle-aged man who is steady and proficient in his work, this is one of the reasons why he is looked up to by the other soldiers.
When Stanhope's condition worsens, he takes on the role of caretaker. This demonstrates to the reader that he has gained the respect from the others.
After his death, Stanhope shows a softer side when he laments that Osborne was, “The one man I could trust - my best friend - the one man I could talk to as man to man - who understood everything”.
Hardy later suggests that Osborne is experienced not just in age but also in his ‘level-headedness'.
Likeable
In the play's opening scene, Osborne is directly compared to Hardy. For example, Osborne's humour is less obnoxious, therefore we like him right away. Here we as an audience observe that he is a genuine person and even with the smallest of aspects of his character, he never fails to disappoint.
He is kind and friendly to everyone he meets. During the play Osborne breaks the ice at crucial moments to ensure that there are no major arguments. This is often during a silence in which a heated conversation is occurring.
Osborne shows a sense of maturity, given his age it is obvious that he has more maturity and experience than others however with that his life lessons gave him his learnings which will help him and his companions.
Osborne demonstrates his family values in his calming conversation with Raleigh, in which he advises Raleigh on how to approach the war, as evidenced by the comment, "There's something really romantic about it all.”
The fact that he has played rugby for England - but only mentions it to Raleigh in passing and asks him not to “breeze it about” - shows he is a humble man. He is the most popular officer with all the other men, Does not boast about his achievements