A Man Could Stand Up— · Character

Captain Mckechnie

A fellow officer whose rattled nerves and whispered insinuations have convinced Tietjens the Colonel despises him — though the Colonel's own conduct tells a stranger story.

supporting

Also known as Mckechnie, the Colonel

First appearance: a man could stand up

As a supporting figure in A Man Could Stand Up—, Captain Mckechnie is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The Colonel who reluctantly had to ask Tietjens to give the order to retreat, and whose hatred for Tietjens is noted.

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Mckechnie belongs to the battalion's officer world, the mess and dugout hierarchy where reputations are made by gossip as much as by competence. He is the source of the rumor that the Colonel hates Tietjens, yet the Colonel himself treats Tietjens with monumental deference and quiet professional respect, leaving Tietjens to revise everything Mckechnie told him. His unreliability as a witness matters early, because it forces both Tietjens and the reader to distrust the easy story and read the men themselves.

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Character Web

19 connections

A slice of how Captain Mckechnie sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Psychological
Professional
Other

Character groups

Social and Military Elite
Protagonist

+14 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak where Valentine W…

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Relationships

Sylvia Tietjens
psychological · negative
Captain Mckechnie is obsessively fixated on Sylvia, viewing her as a symbol of the… How this plays out →
Brother Mark
professional · ambivalent
Valentine Wannop
psychological · negative
Sylvia Tietjens
psychological · negative
Captain Mckechnie is obsessively fixated on Sylvia, viewing her as a symbol of the… How this plays out →
Sylvia Tietjens
psychological · negative
Captain Mckechnie is obsessively fixated on Sylvia, viewing her as a symbol of the… How this plays out →
Valentine Wannop
psychological · negative
Brother Mark
professional · ambivalent
Valentine Wannop
psychological · negative

Sylvia Tietjens
Captain Mckechnie is obsessively fixated on Sylvia, viewing her as a symbol of the destructive feminine force that undermines male authority.
Brother Mark
Brother Mark and Captain Mckechnie are fellow officers, sharing a professional military relationship within the same unit.
Valentine Wannop
Captain Mckechnie views Valentine with suspicion, associating her with Sylvia and the perceived threat of female manipulation.
Sylvia Tietjens
Captain Mckechnie is obsessively fixated on Sylvia, viewing her as a symbol of the destructive feminine force that undermines male authority.
Sylvia Tietjens
Captain Mckechnie is obsessively fixated on Sylvia, viewing her as a symbol of the destructive feminine force that undermines male authority.
Valentine Wannop
Captain Mckechnie views Valentine with suspicion, associating her with Sylvia and the perceived threat of female manipulation.
Brother Mark
Brother Mark and Captain Mckechnie are fellow officers, sharing a professional military relationship within the same unit.
Valentine Wannop
Captain Mckechnie views Valentine with suspicion, associating her with Sylvia and the perceived threat of female manipulation.

Relationship notes

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In the story

Captain Mckechnie appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
The Colonel who reluctantly had to ask Tietjens to give the order to retreat, and whose hatred for Tietjens is noted.
II
Bitter and lachrymose, he confronts Tietjens over a perceived slight and pleads for leniency regarding the C.O.'s refusal to take a pill.
Chapter III
Engages in a tense conversation with Tietjens about the Colonel, using obscene language and questioning Tietjens's motives and finances.
IV
Attempts to establish intellectual parity with Tietjens by discussing a sonnet he wrote.
V
The Colonel (O.C. A Company) expresses regret that the Germans are not attacking, reveals personal motives for leave, and is later asked by Tietjens to lecture his men on communication.
I
Appears at the door, hostile and unshaven; he accuses Tietjens and Campion of conspiracy and claims to have been dismissed from the Army.
II
Taken by Tietjens to shave during the celebration.

Chapter companion notes

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