Sword of Honour: Identity and Possession (Critical Essay‪)‬

Evelyn Waugh's Sword of Honour details Guy Crouchback's journey of self-discovery. Throughout the trilogy, the reader witnesses Guy's growing understanding of identity, complemented by a developing sense of the use of possessions. By witnessing Guy's gradual education in identity, Waugh suggests that a person's individuality originates not from possessions but rather from discovering one's vocation and giving of oneself. At the beginning of the first book, Men at Arms, Waugh defines the Crouchback family through Catholic faith as well as wealth. Guy lacks both attributes his ancestors were noted for. Guy also appears without identity. He fails to interact in society and instead remains alone, unknown and misunderstood. Joining the army becomes a quest for identity, for Guy realizes that war provides a place for him; the war will help him discover who he is.