Mason

Question 1

Dutiful, optimistic, admiral and brave

Answer 1

• Trotter asks Mason to keep his apricots safely for him ‘on a separate plate’ in his dugout.
• Mason points out the bit of lean bacon to Trotter, who initially confuses it with “rust”
• ‘comes to the entrance of his dugout’ to wish Raleigh and Osborne ‘good luck’ on the raid.
• Wakes S at 5.30am for the raid with ‘some ‘ot tea’
• ‘Mason appears … fully dressed for the line, his rifle slung over his shoulder ’ and says,‘I’ll go right along, sir’

Question 2

Use of humour to illuminate life at war

Answer 2

• Describes the unappetising, unidentifiable cutlets: he can’t ‘commit meself’ as to what sort of meat they are, just that they have ‘a noo shape’
• Explains that the soup is ‘yellow soup’
• Discusses breakfast in detail with Trotter, explaining ‘there was a bit of lean in the middle of yours , sir, but it’s kind of shrunk up in the cooking.’ and that the porridge is ‘nice and lumpy’.

Question 3

Uses Mason to explore the subject of class

Answer 3

• Apologises about having apricots rather than pineapples and is clearly worried about Stanhope’s response: ‘E said next time we ‘ad them ‘e’d wring my neck” and exits rapidly.
• Apologises “anxiously” that the pepper has been lost. Trotter is outraged and when M “miserably” confesses that he left it to someone else to pack, Stanhope threatens him: ‘I advise you never to leave it to anyone else again - unless you want to join your platoon out there’. M again apologises: “I’m - I’m very sorry, sir”.
• Trotter makes a joke about the cutlets but Mason doesn’t understand.
• Stanhope jokes about there being ‘No pate de foie gras?’ in his sandwiches and Mason doesn’t understand: ‘No sir. The milkman ‘asn’t been yet.’