Chapter 9
Francis then recalls the day in which Larry informed his students of his enlistment, disapproving of applause as he felt it was only the call of duty. Francis then remembers how things changed when the war was on, and how, as more men were called to fight, women and children were forced to take up roles they didn’t need to before. Francis began to work for Mr. Laurier in his pharmacy.
Whilst working there, Nicole visits often and he finally gathers the courage to confess his feelings. He asks her on a date and, fortunately, she agrees. The two then spend their time in youthful romance, going on dates once a week to the cinema.
Whilst at the cinema, they are shown war reels, which convey a highly supportive image of war, with the lure of travel and heroism highlighted above all. The cinema-goers often react with applause.
Whilst in the pharmacy one day, Nicole hurries in and tells the people of Frenchtown, who now use Mr. Laurier’s establishment as a congregating area, about how Larry has been awarded the Silver Star, and news travels fast.
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.