Journey's End - Character Analysis - Raleigh

A summary of the character Raleigh from Journey's End, notes for your Lit GCSE.

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Personality

Role
  • Naïve. Thought the war would be loud and constant; "it's just this - this quiet that seems so funny" ~ Raleigh, p.20
  • Dutiful; even while dying, he thinks of the others. "I feel rotten lying here - everybody else - up there" ~ Raleigh, p.94.
  • Officer. "You the new officer?" Osborne, p.16.

Development (Growth & change)

Other information              
  • Starts the play believing that war is "romantic".
  • When he goes on his first raid and Osborne is killed, he realises that war takes people's lives everyday, and he starts to believe the truth about war.
  • By the end of the play, when he is on his death bed, he sees war for what it really is; devastating and cruel.
  • He has a "boyish voice" ~ stage directions, p.16
  • Worships Stanhope. "I'm awfully proud to think he's my friend." ~ Raleigh's letter, p.49.

Comments

soomalkav

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is that it?
i signed up to see more [:/

teacup23

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I'd say it was more Osborne referring to war as romantic, Raleigh only agreeing. As a reader we know Osborne is not niave, so I'm not sure about the effectiveness of that point.

ExamQueen101

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@teacup23, I think you'll find Osborne referred to war as romantic partially to maintain the illusion of war that Raleigh arrived with. Raleigh saw war in the light of the propaganda back home, and in early Act 1, before Raleigh appears, Osborne mentions that the new officers do better  - probably for this reason.

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