War Horse
Chapter 9 Analysis
Watch before you begin
Key Vocabulary
Click a word to reveal its definition.
emerge ▼
To come out from a hidden or enclosed place; to become visible or known.
gait ▼
The way a person or animal walks or moves; their particular style or pattern of movement.
wielding authority ▼
Exercising power or control over others; using one's position to give orders and make decisions.
gaunt ▼
Lean and haggard in appearance, especially through illness, hunger, or hardship; bony and drawn.
lavished ▼
Given generously and in large amounts; bestowed with great abundance and without holding back.
dishevelled ▼
Untidy and disordered in appearance — especially of hair or clothing; looking unkempt and messy.
injunction ▼
A firm command or instruction; a serious order telling someone what they must or must not do.
beasts of burden ▼
Animals used to carry heavy loads or perform hard physical labour, such as horses, donkeys, or oxen.
sacrilege ▼
Treating something sacred or deeply respected with disrespect or irreverence; a shocking act of violation.
orderlies ▼
Soldiers or hospital workers assigned to carry out routine tasks and assist those in authority.
Questions
Overview
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1How does Joey feel at the start of the chapter?(2 marks)
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2What impression do we get of the German officer?(4 marks)
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3Why do you think Hauptmann uses the expression "clumsy kindness"?(2 marks)
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4What will the horses be used for?(1 mark)
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5How does Hauptmann feel about this?(1 mark)
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6What do you think "Herr" means in English?(1 mark)
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7What does the doctor ask Hauptmann to do for him, and why?(3 marks)
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8Why is it significant that Joey cannot tell the soldiers' uniforms apart? What point is the author making about the war?(3 marks)
Total: _____ / 17
Chapter Summary
What Happens
A German officer, Hauptmann, insists that the horses are treated well. Joey and Topthorn are allocated as ambulance horses. Hauptmann is asked to help them get used to pulling carts — Joey takes to it well, but Topthorn struggles. The two horses eventually settle and rest in a barn. At the end of the chapter, a young girl enters the stable with her grandfather.