Mary Borden, Blind
Our main character in this novel is a woman named Mary Borden. She was a nurse on a field hospital close to the front in World War One. She was a part of a war squad, which includes 30 old orderlies, two sergeants and two priests, whom were expert dressers. Eventhough they nurses did not have new needles for everyone, she had her own corner in the kitchen with her syringes, hypodermic needles and stimulants. She tried to keep it as sterril as possible. She was not a regular nurse. She had a higher position at the hospital. She had to sort out the wounded from the dead ones, whom they brought in from the ambulance and keep them from passing away before they got to the operating room. She has worked as a nurse for two years. She has matured, and as a human she has grown as an individual. She ended up being able to read men’s facial signs before they reached the end of life. Her work conditions were rough for her and the other volunteers at the field hospital.
As a nurse during the war you could not wander around and think about the awful things happening around you. You needed to keep it on a professional level. Some of the nurses had a hard time while working and Mary included. One little boy touched her heart so deep, the way it hit her, she felt like it was a wakeup call. Mary was not married and did not have kids. But the boy made her think about all the women whom were waiting for their husbands/men and sons to return from the front alive. He died on her chest peacefully, though he felt like he was alone in his darkness. When she felt that his heart did not beat anymore she thought about her dream.
In the beginning she worked very professionally, but it turned out in the end that she had a heart which were filled with sympathy and understanding for her surroundings. Throughout her carrier as a nurse she kept everything positive. although the circumstances would be very negative.