Private Peaceful

Remembering finding Big Joe in the village church tower leads Thomas to ponder the significance of these religious structures. Despite learning in Sunday school that a church tower symbolizes a promise of heaven, he now feels forsaken and doubts that a deity watches over him.

A few weeks after Big Joe reunited with the family, Molly arrives at the Peaceful home, having been thrown out by her parents. Mrs. Peaceful breaks the news that Molly is pregnant. The revelation stirs a complex mix of emotions in Thomas and stuns Charlie. Charlie comforts and reassures Molly, and they eventually have a quiet and unceremonious wedding.

To cope with increasing feelings of isolation, Thomas avoids being alone with Molly and starts spending less time with Charlie, volunteering for errands that take him away from the farm. 

During a visit to a market, Thomas encounters a military recruiting march. The sergeant major stirs the crowd’s emotions, emphasizing the gravity of the war and urging the crowd to support the war effort. Some men enlist, such as Charlie’s former classmate, Jimmy Parsons. An older woman prods Thomas to join as well, questioning his courage. He hesitates and ultimately slips away from the crowd and returns to the farm.