Alec and Jerry Friendship

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2011 Sample Answer 1. (a) Describe an occasion, in the early part of the novel, which reveals the close friendship between Alec and Jerry. (10) An occasion in the early part of the novel which I feel reveals the close friendship between Alec and Jerry is their meeting at the crossroads the night before they join the army. A conversation has taken place between Alicia Moore and her son and she has revealed that Frederick Moore is not his father. Alec, feeling ‘dispossessed in a sentence’ and deeply upset leaves the house and walks towards the village. As Alec draws near the village, he meets several people drinking, dancing and singing at the crossroads. Jerry Crowe is among them. He offers Alec a drink which at first he declines and soon, a series of significant conversations (war, Alicia, their love of horses, their friendship and women) evolves between both men. Alec expresses his surprise of Jerry enlisting in the British Army. Here we see a moment of tension as Jerry ‘spoke with such violence that my heart thumped against my ribs as if someone had hit me’. However, quickly forgotten, he grips Alec’s knee tightly saying ‘we’ll go together so’ highlighting their close friendship. The close bond between both men is again illustrated as Alec replies ‘We’ll go and be heroes together’. They drink and chat for a while and then decide to join the dance. Alec is not used to alcohol and falls down, drunk. As the villagers laugh, Jerry loyally comes to Alec’s defence ‘cut it out’ and they head off together, arm in arm, again highlighting their close friendship. Finally, they both go for a swim as Jerry thinks it will sober them up. As they laugh and enjoy themselves, their conversations truly capture how comfortable they both are in each other’s presence. This unbreakable bond shows their mutual trust as they laugh and reminisce about the good old times.

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