And We Go On (44 page)

In her doctoral thesis, Monique Dumontet shows that the most damaging loss in
Ghosts
is the removal of the broad spectrum of voices heard throughout
And We Go On
, from that of Tommy (who largely disappears in the later version), to the Professor and the Student (who are entirely
excised from
Ghosts)
, to others who debate the war's justice, the ethics of killing, the fate of the human soul, and even the value of beauty.
²
The absence of a Socratic symposium in
Ghosts
greatly lessens the weight of the narrative and makes it a far less important work. And the lack of dialogue and the preponderance of monologue in
Ghosts
lend weight to Hugh Laming's question, “Did he never speak of poetry and music or was he deafened by the roar of guns?” As the reader has seen, Bird speaks often and eloquently of such things in the original version of his memoir. Perhaps the best assessment will be made by readers who compare
Ghosts
with
Go On
and then judge for themselves.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author is grateful to the University of Manitoba for travel funding to examine the Clarke, Irwin fonds in the William Ready Archives at McMaster University in Hamilton.

 

1
  Although Capt. P.A. Thompson had used the phrase after the war to criticize the general staff, his sub-title is more critical of the German High Command. See
Lions led by donkeys showing how victory in the great war was achieved by those who made the fewest mistakes
(London: T.W. Laurie, 1927). Who, then, were the “donkeys”?

2
  Those wanting further guidance may wish to explore the textual comparisons on offer in Dr. Dumontet's “Appendix” to her dissertation, “‘Lest We Forget': Canadian Combatant Narratives of The Great War,” which can be found online at
http://hdl.handle.net/1993/4246

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