Part 2, Chapter 5 Summary

The day Ralph receives the letter from Lucy, the boy whom Everand shot in the shoulder enlists in the army. His name is Horahan. He joins the army because he hopes that the military discipline and communal life will finally keep his nightmares at bay. After he enlists, he goes to the chapel and prays to the Virgin Mary that in return for serving his country, he be set free from the tormenting dreams. He remembers the asylum that he painted not long ago and fears that one day he will be inside with the others.

Part 2, Chapter 5 Analysis

Horahan's mental state is obviously deteriorating.