Class of ’44 (1973) Plot Summary Explained

Benjy chose to enlist in the Marines immediately after graduating high school in 1944, driven by the patriotic momentum and peer pressure of the wartime era. While his friends Hermie and Oscy went to college at their fathers' urging, Benjy felt compelled to serve. His decision represents the very real choice many young men faced during WWII between continuing education or enlisting, with the war's looming presence making military service feel urgent and inevitable.

Foreshadowing: At the post-graduation party, Benjy's announcement shocks his friends, signaling the summer of separation and the threat of service that hangs over all three friends.

• benjy enlistment
• marines
• world war 2
• graduation 1944
• patriotism

Oscy was expelled from the fraternity shortly after moving in because he brought a prostitute into his room, violating the fraternity's strict rules about conduct and morality. This transgression occurred during the rigorous hazing period that all new members had to endure. The expulsion marked a turning point for Oscy, who found himself with limited options and eventually decided to enlist in the Army.

• oscy expelled
• fraternity
• hazing
• prostitute
• college life

Hermie and Julie broke up because Julie revealed she intended to go on a date with an old boyfriend who was in town on shore leave from the military. Although Julie insisted it was a non-romantic date, Hermie distrusted her and couldn't accept the situation. Their relationship strained under the stress of wartime uncertainty and Hermie's jealousy, leading to their separation.

Foreshadowing: Julie and Hermie's relationship had already shown tension over her more independent nature and social connections on campus.

• hermie julie breakup
• romance
• college relationship
• jealousy
• shore leave

Hermie's father died unexpectedly during Hermie's freshman year of college. Hermie received a devastating phone call at the frat house and immediately returned home for the funeral. This tragedy occurred while Hermie was still adjusting to college life and his relationship with Julie was already strained. The loss profoundly affected Hermie, leaving him unable to accept his father's death.

• hermies father death
• funeral
• grief
• family tragedy

Hermie cheated on his final exams because he was struggling academically while dealing with the emotional turmoil of his father's death and the breakdown of his relationship with Julie. Despite his academic difficulties, he managed to pass his freshman year. The cheating represents the pressure Hermie faced trying to maintain his college standing while coping with personal tragedy and wartime stress.

• hermie cheating
• final exams
• academic pressure
• freshman year

Oscy enlisted in the Army because he had few options after being expelled from the fraternity. With his college path disrupted and limited civil opportunities during wartime, military service seemed like the most logical next step. By the time of Hermie's father's death, Oscy had completed basic training and was serving as a clerk typist on Governor's Island, showing how quickly the friends' lives diverged after high school.

• oscy army enlistment
• clerk typist
• governors island
• military service

At the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad station, Julie told Hermie that she had learned about his father's death from his mother and had come to reconcile with him. She also revealed that despite cheating on his exams, Hermie had passed his finals and successfully completed his freshman year. This moment represents their reconciliation and a hopeful turn after all the hardship.

• julie reconciliation
• train station
• final exams
• freshman year completed

The three friends chose different paths due to the unique circumstances and pressures each faced. Benjy enlisted in the Marines immediately, pulled by wartime patriotism. Oscy and Hermie went to college at their fathers' urging, but Oscy's expulsion from the fraternity led him to enlist in the Army, while Hermie pursued his studies and romance. The war created divergent trajectories that would have been unimaginable in peacetime.

• three friends
• divergent paths
• college vs military
• world war 2 impact

Julie agreed to go on a date with her old boyfriend who was in town on shore leave because she wanted to maintain that connection, despite telling Hermie it wasn't a romantic meeting. Julie came from a well-to-do background and had a more independent attitude toward relationships. Her decision reflected her character but directly triggered the breakdown of her relationship with Hermie.

• julie date
• old boyfriend
• shore leave
• relationship independence