Chapter 4
On his way to the Wreck Centre (Frenchtown’s recreation centre), Francis is met by Arthur Rivier, another veteran and a baseball player. Arthur shows sympathy for Francis’ situation and invites him to the local bar, St. Jude. Francis still believes himself to be underage in his mind but he is eventually willing.
Whilst in the bar with other veterans, Francis slumps into silent solitude. The other vets begin to discuss what they will do, with some declaring themselves to be future policemen and others thinking of becoming teachers. The veterans do begin to become curious of Francis’ situation but they respect his privacy. When the conversation returns to future careers, Francis leaves unnoticed and makes his way towards the Wreck Centre again.
Heroes
Heroes is a 1998 novel written by Robert Cormier. The novel is centred on the character Francis Cassavant, who has just returned to his childhood home of Frenchtown, Monument, from serving in the Second World War in France and has severe deformities as a result of an incident during the war. The structure of the novel involves the use of flashbacks to Francis’s childhood in Frenchtown and the events in Frenchtown following the war, when Francis returns.