Journey's End by RC Sheriff - How does the Opening Grab the Audience’s Attention?

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Recommended: Impact of World War 1 and 2 on literature

How does the Opening of Journey’s End grab the Audience’s Attention?

R.C Sheriff’s “Journey’s End” is a piece of First World War literature

and presents a realistic picture of life in the trenches as he had

known it and a interpretation of the horrors from the war. It is set

in 1918, and opens on Monday March 18th. It is placed in a dugout in

the British Trenches before St Quentin. It is a powerful play

expressing many different sides of the war from the death and fighting

to the way the recruits spend their spare time. This play involves the

“C” Company including a Company Commander and four officers. In Act 1

scene 1 the previous company has had a quiet posting with only

irregular attacks and the German troup movements are just starting.

The opening is one example of the way R.C Sherriff has tried to make

it fun as well as stern. He opens with Hardy singing a song, “One and

Two, it’s with Maud and Lou…”, which also shows that some parts are

unrealistic and not showing a war the way we all know a war to be

like.

The first two characters we are introduced with are Hardy and Osborne.

Hardy is the incompetent, casual and good humoured soldier which

brings the hilarity and light hearted side of war to the audience’s

attention. Osborne on the other hand is the opposite from Hardy. He

displays experience and discipline to the dugout. He is also very

fair-minded and level headed. In this scene they introduce Stanhope to

the viewers but they have conflicting views on him. Hardy quotes:

“Stanhope really is a freak” showing he doesn’t have a positive

opinion on Stanhope. Whereas Osborne quotes in his favour “He’s a long

way the best company commander we’ve got”. With the contrast in views

and the appearance of Stanhope yet to be seen is making the audience

question: “What is Stanhope really like?”.

During the conversation between Hardy and Osborne we’re told that they

are expecting a new officer, from Osborne saying, “I hope we’re lucky

and get a youngster straight from school. They’re the kind that do

best”. There is also a question over “The Big Attack” which we are

yet to be knowledgeable about. This is known because the conversation,

“…the big German attack’s expected any day now… I should think you’ll

get it right in the neck” between the two officers tells us so, which

keeps us interested to find out more.

This play is a slice of real life with documentary realism. It has all

the right parts to it from the comic of Hardy’s jokes to the

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