Symbol

Throughout the play, Stanhope references worms, making unfavorable comparisons between worms and officers who attempt to shirk their combat responsibilities and wriggle their way home. Additionally, in a conversation between Stanhope and Osborne, Stanhope questions how a worm can tell up from down as it digs. Stanhope comments that maybe they can't tell, and he believes this would be the worst part of being a worm. The statement symbolizes the doubt he feels about the war effort: with no end in sight, he must push on, feeling his way in the darkness with nothing to go on but the hope of success.