Having already lost so much, Emilie’s grandfather had mustered all the time and energy that he can to save one of his last living friends. Such a description of assertiveness indicates that Joey’s life has, indeed, been saved. Here, Morpurgo uses vivid descriptions to heighten the drama, placing emphasis on the expressions of the soldiers, the bidders, and, eventually, Emilie’s grandfather: “This was indeed Emilie’s grandfather standing before me, his mouth set with grim determination, his eyes glaring around him, challenging anyone to try to outbid him” (157). Though it takes place after the war has ended, the auction in War Horse is one of the most suspenseful episodes in the book. Even after his past experiences of wartime violence, the tank is still monstrously different from anything that he has witnessed.

These nightmarish impressions convey the raw power of the machine, along with how far Joey is from the world of nature and farming that he prefers. One especially potent scene involves Joey’s first sight of tank: “Although at the time I did not know it as such, the first tank I ever saw came over the rose of the hill with the cold light of dawn behind it, a great gray lumbering monster that benched out smoke from behind as it rocked down the hillside toward me” (106). War Horse addresses the evolution of war beyond cavalry maneuvers, and it does so both through the comments of the soldiers and through Joey’s fearful reactions to new technologies. Still, the easygoing mood also sets up a dramatic contrast with the particularly brutal return to full-time combat that ensues once the horses leave Emilie. This imagery indicates that the horses have settled into a routine, complete with a special set of locations and habits. At one point, he recalls the routine that he and Topthorn followed when their services were not needed for the war effort: “Topthorn and I were put out to graze in the meadow by the pond most days, but the evenings were still cold with the occasional frost, and our Emilie would always come to get us in before dark” (79). Joey’s time at Emilie’s farm, like his time working on Albert’s, features a variety of images of relaxation and cooperation. These positive first impressions foreshadow the friendship that develops between the two horses, though this imagery also represents a sad contrast town the weakened state of Topthorn as his time at war continued. Joey also notes that the impressive Topthorn is not threatening. This powerful animal is described by Joey as “half a hand or more taller than me, a huge sleek horse who held his head with majestic dignity” (39).

Upon his first, competitive encounter with Topthorn, Joey is impressed with the build and demeanor of his fellow cavalry horse.

War horse by michael morpurgo