How the character of Billy is prior represented in the opening chapters of the novel regeneration.

Pat barker first introduces the character Billy prior in chapter 5. The first character that he was introduced to was Rivers as he was his patient. Pat barker describes him at first as a very mute character and is entirely fictional, I know this because when Rivers asked sister Rogers whether he’s said anything to anyone as he was unresponsive, and she replied to him, “No, if you speak to him he just stares straight through you”. I think that this problem with him where he doesn’t talk caused some people not to like him.
Pat barker describes Prior as looking like his mum, “Thin, fair haired, young, high cheekbones, short and blunt nose”. However he describes his personality as being more comparable to his fathers. In chapter 6 Barker began to describe his parents when they paid prior a visit at Craighlockart. His father was described as quite the opposite to him, being “big, thick, dark hair, ruddy complexion and a reddish- brown moustache” his father was one who would just drop in when he liked and did what pleased him for example when made no arrangements to come in and speak to someone at Craighlockart but he still came in anyway despite someone telling him he claimed that Mrs Prior made her son very ambitious and now he is ruined he believed that his son should have stayed within his own class.. His mother on the other hand was the more apologetic one out of the two of them, running after her husband apologising if he had done anything wrong. “I’d like to apologise for my husband” She revealed that prior was asthmatic and had breathing problems. Prior’s parents both had different views regarding the wellbeing of their child. When Pat Barker first introduced the character of Prior he was unable to speak, so whenever he needed to say or reply to someone he would write it on a piece of paper in bold capital letters, as he didn’t speak at the start the way he wrote on the paper would give the reader an overview on what type of character he is. Prior wasn’t sure what had happened to him and he didn’t know why he was admitted to hospital, he was very hostile to Rivers and claimed that there was nothing physically wrong with him.
The following morning Rivers came to talk to Prior who had got his voice back overnight, he said that his voice comes and goes but he doesn’t know the reason why. Prior is a very difficult character he doesn’t want to talk about his past as he says that he doesn’t want to churn up memories. When Prior first got his back and Rivers approached him he wasn’t very co operative, however when Rivers got up to leave he started to open up to Rivers more. He began to tell him the small amount he remembered about the war, when he had to stand in the no- mans land for hours and hours just to protect the land the last thing he mentioned he remembered was being carried out of a hole. In chapter 6 Rivers spots prior having an asthma attack, he has difficulties breathing so Rivers examines him. While doing so prior reveals to him that he didn’t appreciate his father coming in how he did, he mentioned that he didn’t like his father because he used to hit his mother when he was small but he was too young to stop any of it. Prior has always had an ambition to serve his country, hence the reason why he would like to return too war, he likes to be seen as a person who is tough and strong and wants others to believe that he is a good soldier who wont break down when faced with pressure – a pure masculine figure. However deep down prior is scared to admit his fear of being killed during war when he is told that he wont be returning to war he cries. Lastly I believe that prior is a very self absorbent character, he worries more about himself and more about his own recovery and experiences over anything else.