A man in a German uniform waves a white handkerchief and comes out off the trench on one side, and a British soldier follows suit. He runs all night, stumbling over craters and ditches until he feels barbed wire snag his leg. However, Joey forms a deep bond with the farmer's son, Albert: the two become soul mates as Albert works hard to transform Joey into a farm horse (his father threatened to get rid of Joey unless he could work with Zoey in the fields). Albert cares for Joey and trains him to work on the farm. Hope you brought your tissues. The Germans put Joey to work as a cart-puller, hauling injured soldiers to medic tents for treatment.

| Kind hearts don't run in this family, however, and Albert's drunken father sells Joey to the British army to earn money to keep his farm and family alive—and probably to buy a few bottles of booze, too. Well, except for the fact that Maisie never gives Joey any of her delicious pastries. The war ends (yay) and Joey is put up for auction (boo). Kennedy, Patrick. In case Bambi wasn't traumatic enough, War Horse opens as our little pony Joey is taken away from his mother and sold to a farm. Joey and his commanding officer, Major Martin, nurse Joey back from near-death to health.
They are put to work as stretcher bearers, pulling the ambulance carts. But Emilie's Grandpapa shows up and wins the auction for Joey (yay again!). A man comes inside with a small girl. Summary of The War Horse ‘The War Horse’ by Eavan Boland is a multilayered poem that uses irony to speak about conflict, the past and the future. Captain Nicholls ends up being killed in an early battle. Young Albert Narracott (.

Not looking good. Captain Nicholls promises to take great care of Joey and also to keep in touch with Albert. What's up with that? The mood is one of fevered excitement; however, once the men and horses reach their encampment and the reality of the situation sets in, their high spirits dissipate. In one part of the campaign, Topthorn and Joey lead the regiment over the barbed wire defenses on the battlefield only to find themselves in enemy territory, as German soldiers appear from the trenches all around them. He makes friends with Topthorn, a beautiful black thoroughbred, and the two are inseparable from that moment on.

Too late, Albert rushes to market and is unable to reverse the sale. Plot Keywords

Sadly, Emilie has died, so Grandpapa gives Joey to Albert.

As the front line moves, and casualties decrease, Joey and Topthorn are left with a kind French farmer and his granddaughter, Emilie, who cares deeply for the two horses. He learns that they will be auctioned off, likely to local butchers who will slaughter them for meat. Two other horses in their unit, Heinie and Coco, perish, along with Joey's new caretaker, Friedrich. Synopsis Many horses bleed to death or die of internal injuries. War Horse is about the journey of a young colt named Joey.

The fighting is terrifying and confusing; Joey describes how he can feel Captain Nicholls riding him at one moment, while the next moment he cannot.

Emilie is a sickly child who lives with her grandfather on his farm, which has been taken over by the Germans for use as their base camp.

How is barbed wire different than normal “unbarbed” wire? Kind hearts don't run in this family, however, and Albert's drunken father sells Joey to the British army to earn money to keep his farm and family alive—and probably to … Joey's leg is extremely painful; he has blood poisoning, which leads to lockjaw. Unfortunately, before you can say vive la France!, the war returns, and Joey and Topthorn are commissioned once again by the Germans. War Horse Summary Joey's earliest memory is of being taken to the town marketplace with his mother while an auction that he did not fully understand took place around him. Copyright © 1999 - 2020 GradeSaver LLC. He is bought from an auction by a family with a young boy named Albert. Albert enlists in the British Army, and is wounded during the Battle of the Somme. Joey remains at the head of the cavalry and is ridden now by Trooper Warren: a kind, gentle lad who is not a particularly good horseman but whose conscientious treatment keeps Joey going throughout the harshness of the winter. On the outbreak of the First World War, Albert's beloved horse 'Joey' is sold to the Cavalry by his Father.

© 2020 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. He has never been apart from his mother before, and he starts crying for her, hearing her cries for him becoming fainter as he is taken farther away.

Major Martin gives the men every penny of his salary to try to win Joey at auction. Although many of the gathered villagers do not often pay the picture much attention, some do occasionally look over the inscription that identifies the horse and the portraitist. In War Horse, Michael Morpurgo explores violence, cruelty, and courage in war through the eyes of a horse, Joey. It was horrible. Suddenly, England declares war with Germany and enters WorldWar I. Albert's father … As Joey and Friedrich mourn Topthorn, the sound of shells exploding begins around them. Joey stays with them for as long as possible, not wanting to be alone in the world, but the gunfire and shelling terrify him; he begins to run with no particular direction in mind. Nicholls perishes in battle, and Joey is transferred to a younger, more inexperienced rider named Trooper Warren. Whilst recovering in Hospital, he learns of a Horse, found in no mans land. Barbed wire plays an important part in the coming chapters. The poem begins with the speaker stating that nothing “unusual” was happening in her town. Albert subsequently marries his sweetheart, Maisie, but she and Joey never take to each other. Joey misses Albert and his old life. As he and Trooper Warren are led away in one direction, Joey and Topthorn are led the opposite way. Albert nurses Joey back to health in a touching scene deserving of a sepia-colored montage with heart-tugging violin music. Joey longs for Albert as he carries Warren into battle. When he hears Albert's story, the grandfather sells Joey to Albert for one penny, as long as Albert promises to keep Emilie's memory alive. The two horses are stabled together. They are outbid by the butcher, but at the last minute another bid is received and Joey is sold to Emilie's grandfather.

On the outbreak of the First World War, Albert's beloved horse 'Joey' is sold to the Cavalry by his Father. Life was difficult for common people because there was a war going on.

The voice of the soldier who answers this man sends chills down Joey's spine: Joey realizes that his Albert is the soldier who was ordered to take care of him.
After being sent to France, in a bid to survive, Joey has an unexpected journey across war torn Europe. When Albert and Joey arrive home, Albert rides Joey into the village and they are welcomed as heroes. Albert does so. The British soldier wins, and Joey rejoins the British army. Friedrich does not manage to get away and is killed a few paces from Topthorn.

Emilie is a sickly child, but the horses give her strength and a reason to live.

Topthorn is now ridden by Crazy Friedrich, a thoughtful man who has become very attached to him. In case Bambi wasn't traumatic enough, War Horse opens as our little pony Joey is taken away from his mother and sold to a farm. Worst of all for Joey, Topthorn also succumbs after many months in cold, harsh conditions with little food. Doing his duty, Joey meets Topthorn, a strong black stallion who becomes his best brony. Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry.

Captain Nicholls comes to Joey's defense and instructs that he be given more food: he is to be the Captain's horse and therefore should not lose conditioning.

| The two soldiers observe that if the war were left to them, they would be able to solve everything by communicating and trusting each other. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Horses panic and keep mooving which tears their flesh right off their bodies. Their German captors respect the bravery of the horses, and the captain orders his troops to treat them like the heroes they are.