The Passion

“He wishes his whole face were mouth to cram a whole bird.” 

Henri is given sole responsibility of preparing Napoleon’s chicken, his favorite meal. The chicken Henri must prepare for Napoleon becomes both a source of shame and pride. On one hand, they represent his failed goal to be a drummer in the army. On the other hand, the birds allow Henri to get closer to his idol, Napoleon. Napoleon’s insatiable hunger for chicken mirrors his insatiable sense of ambition.

“Nowadays people talk about the things he did as though they made sense. As though even his most disastrous mistakes were only the result of bad luck or hubris.” 

This quote points to the subjective nature of history. It pokes fun at the human tendency to overanalyze past events to give them inflated meaning. The quote also highlights Napoleon’s idol status in popular culture; he is perceived as incapable of making a mistake.

“It’s hard to remember that this day will never come again. That the time is now and the place is here and that there are no second chances at a single moment.” 

Henri says this when describing how invincible Napoleon makes his army feel—so much so that they must remind themselves of their own humanity.