Like Brideshead Revisited (1945), Men at Arms features a large cast of characters who are almost all effectively developed, and of whom several are based upon people Waugh knew well. Guy's father, brother-in-law and brigade commander are all drawn from identifiable models, as is explained in Christopher Sykes's biography, and so are many of Guy's fellow officers in his regiment. The many short, exquisitely detailed sketches of individuals who make a single brief appearance give Men at Arms a human richness that highlights Waugh's exceptional abilities as a portrayer of character.

Guy Crouchback himself has irritated some critics by being a basically passive and somewhat colorless person to whom many things happen, but who seldom initiates anything of import.

Although this criticism is accurate to an extent, it ignores the more important question of Guy's functions in the development of the plot. As both an empty vessel in search...