“We will ban the bomb!”

“We will ban the bomb!” is the peace meeting’s rallying declaration, joining a definite promise to an appeal for collective effort. Spoken as the address reaches its climax, the phrase gives the campaign’s opposition to nuclear weapons a memorable voice and turns political conviction into a public call to act.

Wording and Function

The sentence begins with “We,” making the projected achievement collective rather than the work of the speaker alone. Its future tense is emphatic: banning the bomb is presented not as a distant hope but as something the movement intends to bring about. The brief, forceful wording contrasts with the longer explanation that precedes it, concentrating the speech’s argument into a phrase suited to be repeated beyond the meeting.

The Meeting and Its Call to Action

The speaker declares the slogan after urging listeners to distribute campaign leaflets in public houses, classrooms, and churches. The appeal links the promise to ordinary, practical participation: the movement depends on people in the room carrying its message elsewhere. The audience responds with vigorous nods, murmurs of assent, and applause. Pamela, stationed at the tea table with the leaflets, makes the transition from speech to participation tangible; after inviting people to collect them, she draws laughter by adding that they should have tea first.

Narrative Significance

The speech argues that survival must take precedence amid the threat of nuclear destruction, and that Britain can influence other countries by its example. The slogan gives that reasoning a decisive, forward-driving finish, but it remains a declaration of purpose rather than evidence that the bomb has been banned. For Marion Taylor, being present and listening is itself a small stand for what she believes. She imagines that Tom Burgess should be proud of her involvement, so the public “we” of the slogan also touches the private question of whether her convictions will be recognized within her marriage.