# Gunning — The Last Post character guide

> Gunning in The Last Post by Ford Madox Ford.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Even Gunning, Old Gunning, gross Gunning

**First appearance:** 0002-the-last-post

## Who they are

A coarse, wealthy neighbor whose gates, horses, and encroachments on the Tietjens land make him the local embodiment of everything the old order is losing to.

## Relationships

### [Sylvia Tietjens](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se/characters/sylvia_tietjens)

_psychological_

Sylvia's manipulative and obsessive lover who enables her destructive schemes while being controlled by her.

### [Sylvia Tietjens](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se/characters/sylvia_tietjens)

_psychological_

Sylvia's manipulative and obsessive lover who enables her destructive schemes while being controlled by her.

### [Sylvia Tietjens](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se/characters/sylvia_tietjens)

_psychological_

Sylvia's manipulative and obsessive lover who enables her destructive schemes while being controlled by her.

## In the story

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se/chapters/part-i-i)

Trims the hedge in the garden; Mark observes his movements and compares him to Shakespeare.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se/chapters/part-i-ii)

Hones his blade while Marie Léonie waits; he comments on Christopher's insight.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se/chapters/part-i-iii)

The handyman, seen feeding a sow and representing the peasantry's perspective; he and Cramp agree that the war should have given more power to their class.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se/chapters/part-i-v)

The land-steward fighting the Agricultural Committees, conversing with Fittleworth about gates.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se/chapters/part-ii-ii)

Warns Sylvia against causing harm to Valentine Wannop, recalling his own punishment by Mark Tietjens.

### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se/chapters/part-ii-iv)

Gunning is remembered as a squatter living with a wise-woman and her granddaughter, thrashing them weekly, representing sex ferocity.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se/characters/gunning
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_last_post_se/characters