A Man Could Stand Up

A Man Could Stand Up is a book by Ford Madox Ford, first published in 1926. It is the third novel in the Parade’s End tetralogy, a landmark of modernist literature that examines the moral, emotional, and social upheaval brought about by the First World War. This volume moves the story decisively from the battlefield to the fragile peace that follows, focusing on what it means to live honourably once the old certainties have collapsed. The novel centres on Christopher Tietjens, recently returned from the war, as he attempts to disentangle himself from a destructive marriage to Sylvia Tietjens while confronting his long-suppressed love for Valentine Wannop. Ford explores Christopher’s internal struggle with great subtlety, using shifting perspectives and interior monologue to show a man caught between Edwardian codes of duty and a modern world that no longer rewards them. The emotional tension lies not in overt action, but in the weight of conscience, restraint, and the difficulty of choosing personal happiness without betraying deeply held principles. Set against post-war England, A Man Could Stand Up examines the psychological aftermath of combat, the changing position of women, and the slow erosion of rigid social hierarchies. As part of Parade’s End, this book is best read in sequence, but it also stands strongly on its own as a study of integrity under pressure. Ford Madox Ford, drawing on his own war experience, offers a sceptical yet humane portrait of a society learning — uneasily — how to stand upright after catastrophe.