Jerry is back home in A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows section 4. It’s clear there is a break before he has to leave on this mission that nobody else wants to go on, and that means we get to see a moment of Jerry and Marjorie, nicknamed Dolly, together.
Now it makes sense why Jerry has named his plane Dolly. Usually, the men would name their planes or other items they used regularly after the women in their lives, and having his wife with him all the time when out in the war makes sense.
Breaking down A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows section 4
The section opens with Dolly writing the letter J in a heart, making it clear just how much she loves her husband. We have to remember that this is a young couple in love. They’re only in their early 20s, and they’re married with a child already. That’s something that was so normal for the time.
Dolly thinks about how Jerry is leaving something of him with her, and she wonders if it’s another baby. There are worries about that, as it means another child to raise alone. Of course, we know that Roger will grow up an only child, so it’s not that.
She also thinks about going to snuggle up with Jerry in bed, but she is superstitious. She doesn’t want to risk anything that would cause him to die, and so, she denies herself the pleasure of cuddling into him before he leaves. He doesn’t get to sleep, though. Roger’s cries get Dolly to rush to him so that he doesn’t wake Jerry, but she ends up sending a chair flying across the room.
Jerry springs up awake, which makes sense considering his background and the fact that it’s World War II. He could think that there is a danger coming toward them. As he realizes that it’s just Dolly and Jerry, he’s able to calm a little, but the banging on the wall from Mrs. Munn next door makes him bang back to get her to quieten down. I’ve never understood people banging on walls to get people to quieten down, as it never works out!
We get a cute moment between Jerry and Dolly as she asks him if he has to be a gorilla. Of course, he asks if she wants to feel his banana, and we all know what that means. It puts a smile on my face to see that they are in love and want to be with each other, but it’s such a bittersweet thing knowing what’s to come.
Could this section be adapted for a TV series?
If A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows was adapted, then I could see this section being used. It gives us a moment between Jerry and his wife, which is so important to understand how hard it was for Marjorie to lose her husband. She had to raise a sun without the man she loved by her side, never really knowing what happened to him.
We also need to see them as a couple together. It adds more empathy to the two of them individually, while giving us a chance to see what life was like for them during World War II. Plus, seeing Roger as a baby helps to put a timeline together, as it’s easier to understand why Roger would never have memories of his dad.
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