A Man Could Stand Up— · Character

Christopher Tietjens

A brilliant, scrupulous English gentleman and acting battalion commander who has been so thoroughly discredited by his wife that he can barely tell his honor from his ruin.

major

Also known as Tietjens, Xtopher Tietjens, Tietjen, Major Tietjens, Fat Man Tietjens

First appearance: A Man Could Stand Up—

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

Referenced as the central figure whose Toryism was discussed in a previous preface.

In the storyDedicationOpen this moment free

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Tietjens commands a ragtime battalion with the same exacting conscience he once brought to his estate and his marriage, watching a marksman fire into invisibility with a mathematician's calm while his own reputation is picked off from behind. He is a Younger Son, a Hamlet of the trenches, and a man who has decided at last that he wants something and is prepared to take it. His early arc is the slow, painful conversion of a man of duty into a man of desire.

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Character Web

14 connections

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Relationship types

Family
Other

Character groups

Core Protagonist and Soldier
Social and Military Elite
Protagonist

+9 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
family · negative
Christopher and Sylvia are estranged husband and wife, locked in a bitter, manipulative,… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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In the story

Christopher Tietjens appears across 12 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Dedication
Referenced as the central figure whose Toryism was discussed in a previous preface.
A Man Could Stand Up—
In the trenches, waiting for an attack, reviewing paperwork, and resolving to live with Valentine after the war.
Chapter II
Tietjens is the absent figure at the center of Valentine's thoughts—rumored to be mad, broke, and alone, with his furniture removed.
III
Discussed as a man broken down by the war; Valentine defends him against claims of bad behavior.
I
The protagonist, a second-in-command, reflects on the recent attack, his Colonel's hostility, and the surreal nature of trench warfare.
II
Commanding the battalion in the trenches, he faces Mckechnie's resentment and the terror of the coming strafe, while seeking solace in thoughts of the seventeenth century.
Chapter III
Reflects on the battalion's losses, the Colonel's failing morale, and his own role in deciding the Colonel's fate; recalls the Max Redoubt observation post.
IV
Temporarily commanding the battalion, he inspects trenches, reviews paperwork, and prepares for the German attack.
V
Reflects on the captured deserter, the Colonel's request, and his desire to command the battalion; realizes his plans involve Valentine Wannop.
VI
Reclines on a mound, reflecting on his machine guns, his love for Valentine, and his confrontation with General Campion. Resolves to appeal against Campion's insult.
I
Absent but central; Valentine observes his empty house, his sold furniture, and finds his penciled note; she is uncertain of his sanity.
II
Stands at the telephone, resolves to live with Valentine, reflects on Campion and Sylvia.

Chapter companion notes

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