# Hugh — Mr. Britling Sees It Through character guide > Hugh in Mr. Britling Sees It Through by H. G. Wells. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Hugh Mr. Britling, this Hugh, Hughie **First appearance:** 0002-1 ## Snapshot Britling's son, a young officer whose letters from the front strip the romance from war and whose absence reshapes his father's inner life. ## Who they are Hugh leaves Matching's Easy for the trenches with a stiff upper lip and a sense that the world has turned right over, exchanging few words with a father equally unable to say what he means. His letters home are wry, clear-eyed, and unsentimental, noting the boredom, the smashed village, the slow education of a soldier. Through him the war becomes concrete rather than rhetorical, and his silence in the later pages weighs on everything his father thinks and writes. ## Relationships ### [Mr. Direck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/mr_direck) _friendship_ Hugh, Mr. Britling's eldest son, shares a friendly and respectful bond with Mr. Direck, the American visitor. ### [Mr. Britling](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/mr_britling) _family_ Hugh is Mr. Britling's son, their relationship marked by paternal pride and the looming tragedy of war. ### [Teddy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/teddy) _family_ Hugh and Teddy are brothers, sharing a close sibling bond with mutual affection and rivalry. ### [Letty](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/letty) _family_ Hugh and Letty are siblings, sharing a warm and protective brother-sister relationship. ### [Mr. Direck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/mr_direck) _friendship_ Hugh, Mr. Britling's eldest son, shares a friendly and respectful bond with Mr. Direck, the American visitor. ### [Teddy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/teddy) _family_ Hugh and Teddy are brothers, sharing a close sibling bond with mutual affection and rivalry. ### [Mr. Britling](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/mr_britling) _family_ Hugh is Mr. Britling's son, their relationship marked by paternal pride and the looming tragedy of war. ### [Mr. Direck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/mr_direck) _friendship_ Hugh, Mr. Britling's eldest son, shares a friendly and respectful bond with Mr. Direck, the American visitor. ### [Teddy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/teddy) _family_ Hugh and Teddy are brothers, sharing a close sibling bond with mutual affection and rivalry. ### [Letty](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/letty) _family_ Hugh and Letty are siblings, sharing a warm and protective brother-sister relationship. ### [Letty](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/letty) _family_ Hugh and Letty are siblings, sharing a warm and protective brother-sister relationship. ## In the story ### [Book I: Matching’s Easy at Ease](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/book-i-matching-s-easy-at-ease) Mr. Britling's son, mentioned in the context of the family and the impending war. ### [§ 8](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/8) The Britling scion, a small bright bristling boy in white flannel shirt and knickerbockers, who greets Mr. Direck and discusses American Sunday Supplement characters. ### [§ 8](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/8) The eldest son, speculative and detached, discusses Utopias, science, and his desire to see America. ### [§ 9](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/9) Dances with Cecily Corner, appearing handsome and confident. ### [III: The Entertainment of Mr. Direck Reaches a Climax](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/iii-the-entertainment-of-mr-direck-reaches-a-climax) Walks and talks intently with Mr. Britling on the lawn. ### [§ 1](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/1) Mr. Britling's eldest son, walks and talks intently with his father on the lawn. ### [§ 3](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/3) Warns Mr. Direck about using a sprung hockey stick. ### [Mr. Britling in Soliloquy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/iv-mr-britling-in-soliloquy) Mentioned as Mr. Britling's orphan boy from a previous marriage, now a stepson to Mrs. Britling. ### [§ 3](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/3) Mr. Britling's son from his first marriage, accepted rather than explained in the household. ### [§ 5](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/5) Mr. Britling's son, whose troubles occupy his father's anxious thoughts. ### [§ 6](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/6) Mr. Britling's son, whose Irish heritage is noted; Mr. Britling deplores his own inefficiency as a father toward him. ### [§ 7](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/7) Mr. Britling worries that his son is 'drifting to ruin.' ### [V: The Coming of the Day](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/v-the-coming-of-the-day) Mr. Britling's son, described as sensitive and talented; torn between pursuing crystallography or caricature. ### [§ 3](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/3) Mr. Britling thinks of his son while lying awake. ### [§ 4](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/4) A trouble concerning Hugh resolves into nothing of vital importance and settles easily. ### [§ 5](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/5) Struggles with a career choice between science and art; eventually confesses his desire to return to Cambridge to study crystallography under Professor Cardinal. ### [§ 9](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/9) Briefly appears, demanding a game of hockey with Cissie, providing Mr. Britling a temporary distraction from the war and personal troubles. ### [§ 11](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/11) Participates in dart-throwing with Teddy, Letty, and Cissie, aiming to win a tea-set. ### [Book II: Matching’s Easy at War](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/book-ii-matching-s-easy-at-war) Mr. Britling's son, who enlists and departs for the front. ### [I: Onlookers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/i-onlookers) Mr. Britling's son, excited and restless about the war, reading about Balkan races and religions. ### [§ 1](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/1) Excited as a cat in thundery weather at breakfast, eager for war news. ### [§ 3](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/3) Comes out of the house to hear the news, reads the Daily News, and jokes about the etymology of 'moratorium' with his father. ### [§ 6](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/6) Comments on the complexity of Balkan races and religions, and asks about Albania, but his remarks are largely disregarded. ### [§ 10](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/10) Leads the goose-step march across the lawn, calling out 'Left' and joking about zeppelins. ### [§ 13](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/13) At home through August, studying mathematics and physics, with little initial interest in the war. ### [§ 16](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/16) Appears with his father reading the Observer and fetching the atlas to locate German positions. ### [§ 18](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/18) Hugh speaks abruptly about the war, calling the Prussians a nuisance and asserting the need to defeat them before returning to normal life. ### [II: Taking Part](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/ii-taking-part) Sits silently at dinner, appearing 'a little inattentive' during Mr. Britling's lengthy talk about the war. ### [§ 3](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/3) Present at the table talk, silent and inattentive. ### [§ 6](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/6) Hugh tells his father he has joined the Territorials as a private in the Essex Regiment, expressing his dislike for war but seeing it as a necessary duty. ### [§ 7](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/7) Visits in an ill-fitting uniform, describes his rough training life, and requests a tuckbox and insect powder. ### [§ 11](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/11) Gets leave for the day after Christmas, but is absent for the holiday itself. ### [Malignity](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/iii-malignity) Mr. Britling's eldest son, who has joined the Territorials and is mentioned as part of the family's war involvement. ### [§ 1](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/1) Mr. Britling's eldest son, who joins the Territorials. ### [§ 5](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/5) Remembered for his tramps and confidences with Kurt and Karl during the family holiday in Neunkirchen. ### [§ 6](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/6) Hugh is Mr. Britling's son, who is not yet old enough to go to war, a fact that gives Mr. Britling a secret consolation. ### [§ 9](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/9) Referenced in Aunt Wilshire's warning to Mr. Britling; not physically present. ### [IV: In the Web of the Ineffective](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/iv-in-the-web-of-the-ineffective) Writes letters from the front describing war as a 'big game,' then expresses boredom and criticism of military waste; his letters deeply influence his father. ### [§ 1](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/1) Writes vivid letters from training, describing discipline, fatigue, and bayonet charges with sketches. ### [§ 2](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/2) Writes letters complaining about route marching, lack of rifles, and poor training; describes his platoon mates and sends a parody drawing. ### [§ 3](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/3) Writes critical letters to his father about military inefficiency, boredom, and poor leadership. ### [§ 4](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/4) Narrates the letter about Ortheris's misadventure, showing his perceptive and reflective nature. ### [§ 5](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/5) His letters from the front quicken Mr. Britling's understanding; his criticisms are seen as harsh and youthful. ### [§ 6](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/6) Enlists in the army at age nineteen, lying about his age to serve in the trenches. ### [§ 7](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/7) Spends a long, shy evening with the family, then talks deeply with his father about the war as a step outside normal life, acknowledging he will never be the same. ### [§ 8](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/8) Perceived by his father as a newly minted man, wise and brave, representing the fine youth being sent to die. ### [§ 9](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/9) Fresh from wholesome sleep, he departs for war, exchanging a last handclasp with his father. ### [§ 10](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/10) Writes letters from the front describing the art of war, the collection of German diaries, and the dark humor of the trenches. ### [§ 11](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/11) Writes letters describing the boredom and desolation of life at the front, requesting escapist literature. ### [§ 13](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/13) Writes a long letter describing his first experience in the trenches and an aerial battle. ### [§ 14](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/14) Writes two letters describing his trench experiences, shelling, a German attack, and his philosophical turmoil about the war. ### [§ 15](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/15) Mr. Britling's son, serving at the front; his letters weigh heavily on Mr. Britling's mind, and his safety is a constant source of anxiety. ### [§ 18](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/18) Writes a long letter home describing his battle experience, the death of Ortheris, and his grief and anger about the war. ### [§ 19](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/19) Absent but central to the chapter; his silence (no letters for 23 days) is the source of Mr. Britling's anguish and the catalyst for the confrontation. ### [§ 21](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/21) Reported killed in action; the telegram brings the news Mr. Britling had been dreading. ### [§ 22](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/22) Reported killed in action; his death is the central event of the chapter. ### [§ 23](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/23) Reported killed in action; the telegram confirms his death. ### [§ 24](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/24) Though absent, his departure and the anguish over his fate are the central cause of the couple's grief. ### [§ 25](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/25) Memories of Hugh playing, talking, and saying goodbye flood Mr. Britling's mind as he walks the grounds. ### [Book III: The Testament of Matching’s Easy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/book-iii-the-testament-of-matching-s-easy) Absent at the front; his silence deeply affects Mr. Britling. ### [Mrs. Teddy Goes for a Walk](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/i-mrs-teddy-goes-for-a-walk) Remembered by Mr. Britling with deep affection and grief; his death is a central source of pain for Britling. ### [§ 10](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/10) Referenced as a symbol of love and sacrifice, central to Mr. Britling's argument for a God of love. ### [§ 14](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/14) Mentioned as deceased, his memory haunts Mr. Britling. ### [II: Mr. Britling Writes Until Sunrise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/ii-mr-britling-writes-until-sunrise) Haunts Mr. Britling's thoughts; his dead body is vividly imagined with a wound to the head. His hair is remembered as 'as soft as the down of a bird.' ### [§ 1](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/1) Haunts Mr. Britling's thoughts as a dead body with a red hole in his head, lying face downward. ### [§ 2](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/2) Referenced in Mr. Britling's anguished thoughts; his death or absence drives Britling's despair. ### [§ 3](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/3) Mentioned in memories of Heinrich and as a parallel loss to Heinrich. ### [§ 4](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/4) Mr. Britling's eldest son, also killed in the war; mentioned in the letter and photographs. ### [§ 5](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/5) Referenced indirectly as one of the 'boys' who have died in the war, part of the universal loss Mr. Britling contemplates. ### [§ 8](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/8) The son whose fragment is read; he dreamed of world peace through Esperanto or Ido and the unifying power of science. ### [§ 9](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/9) Mentioned as a living presence in Mr. Britling's vision of the divine, symbolizing the continuity of life beyond death. ### [§ 10](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/chapters/10) His name is written repeatedly on Mr. Britling's manuscript, symbolizing Mr. Britling's personal grief and motivation. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters/hugh - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mr_britling_sees_it_through_se/characters