In Our Time

Chapter II

Summary

This is a glimpse of an evacuation. It is raining. The town of Adrianople, in the midst of mud flats, boasts religious towers--minarets. Carts are lined up and jam-packed. Water buffalo and cattle are towing the carts, led by old men and women. The river is running yellow. The Greek cavalry kept the people and animals in line. There is one woman having a child as a young girl holds a blanket over her and cries. This scene is a frightening one.

Commentary

Another glimpse into the life of a soldier in World War I. Probably this story follows "Indian Camp" because the women giving birth ties the two scenes together. There is a great deal of repetition in this passage. The narrator is attempting to emphasize his overwhelmed feeling by overwhelming the reader with the same description repeated many times. In addition, because the line "Scared sick looking at it" has no subject, this passage also lets the reader join in the feeling and experience the sickness rather than just to be told about it.