Tietjens Said Quote by Ford Madox Ford
““The man’s face, wrinkled, dark and apelike, looked up. ‘He was a good pal, pore old b— ,’ he said. ‘You would not like, surely to goodness, to go to mess with your shoes all bloody.’ ‘If I had given him leave,’ Tietjens said, ‘he would not be dead now.’ ‘No, surely not,’ One Seven Thomas answered. ‘But it is all one. Evans of Castell Goch would surely to goodness have killed him.’ ‘So you knew, too, about his wife!’ Tietjens said. ‘We thocht it wass that,’ One Seven Thomas answered, ‘or you would have given him leave, cahptn. You are a good cahptn.””
About This Quote
A chaotic wartime conversation reveals guilt, death, and the futility of blame amidst suffering.
In simple terms: War creates confusion and blame over death.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the absurdity of assigning blame in war.
Themes
war
guilt
absurdity
humanity
Mood
somber
grim
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- battlefield
- military leadership
- post‑war reflection
- court‑martial
- personal confession
Key Concepts
existential dread
morality
psychological trauma
Questions to Reflect On
- How does war erode personal responsibility?
- Can guilt be resolved after collective trauma?
A Different Perspective
War’s chaos makes clear moral judgments hard.
