I hope I am not for the killing, Anselmo was thinking. I think that after the war there will have to be some great penance done for the killing. If we no longer have religion after the war then I think there must be some form of civic penance organized that all may be cleansed from the killing or else we will never have a true and human basis for living. The killing is necessary, I know, but still the doing of it is very bad for a man and I think that, after all this is over and we have won the war, there must be a penance of some kind for the cleansing of us all.

Summary

In this quote, Anselmo reflects on the moral consequences of killing during war. He expresses his concern that without some form of religious or civic penance, the act of killing will have a lingering negative impact on those involved. Anselmo acknowledges the necessity of killing in war, but emphasizes the emotional and psychological toll it takes on individuals. He believes that after the war is over and victory is achieved, there needs to be some form of collective penance that allows everyone to be cleansed from the guilt and trauma associated with killing. This penance, according to Anselmo, is crucial to establishing a true and humane foundation for living.

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