Birdsong ...

Jack Firebrace is a really good character to have in a book like Birdsong as he represents a typical English soldier that puts on a brave front in war, for themselves, and also maybe for others. Jack is normally a funny person, always laughing and telling jokes, but he only shows this sometimes, as the rest of the time he spends scared and nervous about whats goin on around him. He finds it hard to sleep, so this lack of sleep makes him more nervous, so once hes had some rest he starts to become more like himself again, making the other soldiers laugh.

I feel like Jack trys his very hardest to do things right and make the right decisions, again for himself, and for others, as the people with him are now more like friends to him as he spends so long with them, and he wouldnt want to let them down. I think he feels quite responsible for them now.

Its made clear in the book that Jack really misses his wife, and doesnt like to think of the distance between them, the same with his son. When he received a letter from her, he could barely bring himself to read it.

Unfortunately, some of Jacks friends have lost their lives at war, friends which he grew very fond of and rather enjoyed their company , so Jack trys to rid his mind of any thoughts about them, to allow himself to carry on through war as he knows it is very likely to happen to other of his friends.