War Horse
54 pages • 1-hour read
Michael MorpurgoWar Horse
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Symbols & Motifs
Owl Whistle
One recurring motif in War Horse is Albert’s special call for Joey: his owl whistle. Albert uses this whistle to summon Joey to him, and it is first introduced at the very beginning of the novel. Joey recalls, “[h]is whistle imitated the stuttering call of an owl—it was a call I never refuse and I would never forget” (8). Joey’s response to the owl whistle throughout the novel proves his loyalty to Albert and is further evidence of the animal-human bond prevalent in the book. The whistle is something uniquely shared between the horse and his master. While there is a great deal of love between Joey and his other various owners throughout the book, there is never so much loyalty and understanding between them as between Joey and Albert.
The whistle is what eventually convinces Albert that Joey is his very own. When he and David clean Joey off after he’s been trapped in no-man’s-land, Albert is hesitant to hope that the horse with four white socks, a red coat, black tail and mane, and a cross on his forehead is the horse he loves so well. What finally proves it is when Albert “turn[s] and walk[s] away to the gateway before facing [Joey], cupping his hands to his lips and whistling” (130). Joey perks up at the sound of it. It is “his owl whistle, the same, low stuttering whistle [Albert] had used to call [Joey] when [they] were walking out together back at home on the farm”(130). At this, Joey trots over to Albert, and the two are, at last, reunited.
Tenor Bell
In War Horse, the tenor bell is a motif used to bookend Albert’s and Joey’s coming-of-age during a war. When the tenor bell is first mentioned, Albert is a young boy. Albert tells Joey that “he had been given the big tenor bell because they thought he was man enough already to handle it and that in no time he’d be the biggest boy in the village” (10). Though there is no inherent danger in ringing a tenor bell, the motif critiques a society that forces boys to become men before they are ready. The most notable instance of this in War Horse is how young so many of the soldiers are when they are expected to fight, and die, in such a brutal and bloody war. Even young Emilie, though not a soldier, is asked to be strong and not cry when her beloved horses are torn away from her; she, too, must grow up too fast.
The second time the tenor bell is mentioned, Albert has become a man. It is not his age that defines this life transition so much as the experience he’s had in the war. His perspective on everything has shifted, and he makes amends with his father, with whom he fought so much as a child. Upon returning home, “Albert [takes] over the farm again and [goes] back to ringing his tenor bell” (165). Now that the war is done, Albert settles back into the familiarity of farm life, gets married, and begins the next stages of adulthood. With the ringing of the bell comes the official end of his coming-of-age arc.
Iron Cross
In World War I, the Iron Cross was a German medal awarded to those who proved to be remarkably courageous in performing military functions. In War Horse, the Iron Cross symbolizes the courage shown not only by Joey during the war but by all the horses who fought just as bravely by their masters’ sides.
The Germans, just like the English, hold a great deal of respect for the war horses. One of the most powerful speeches about this is when the German officers first capture Joey and Topthorn. Herr Hauptmann addresses his troops, who are standing around gawking at the horses. He says,
I tell you, if we had had one jot of the courage of these animals, we would be in Paris by now and not slugging it out here in the mud. These two horses came through hellfire to get here—they were the only two to make it. It was not their fault they were sent on a fool’s errand. They are not circus animals, they are heroes—do you understand, heroes—and they should be treated as such (64).
Herr Hauptmann’s admiration for the horses’ heroism is not exclusive to him. Another soldier comes across an Iron Cross on the battlefield and decides to give it to Joey and Topthorn. This is given sincerely, and the soldiers hang “the Iron Cross on a nail outside [their] stable door” (72). The soldiers will visit the stable, always admiring their Iron Cross and respecting the horses like they would any human war hero.
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