Arthur Rivier is a Frenchtown war veteran. He played for the Frenchtown baseball team before he enlisted in the army. Seeing Arthur in his corporal uniform pushed Francis to enlist, too. After the war, Francis first meets him next to the St Jude Club. He feels sympathy towards him and asks him what blew his face off. He invites Francis for a drink at the bar.
I think Arthur Rivier might represent many things. He might be a metaphor of Francis’ mind. We do not get a lot of Francis’ thoughts about the war apart from him being terrified. Arthur is the only character in the novel who clearly expresses his feelings about the war. Maybe this is because he represents Francis’ mind so we can understand his true feelings concerning the war.
