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Literary impacts of world war 1
Literary impacts of world war 1
World war one research paper
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How does Faulks’ presentation of human suffering illuminate your understanding of “Birdsong”? 'Birdsong ', at the core of its narrative, contains an escalating presentation of suffering that is used to illuminate the extent of human depravity encountered in the First World War. Faulks continually deconstructs ideas about suffering to force the reader to contemplate its totality: he initially depicts suffering through a loss of emotion, when moving from the 1910s to the war period. This is heightened, in later war sections, into a complete loss of compassion and human empathy, reflecting the social and emotional transformation caused by World War One. Faulks dogma is defined by his structure, as he presents humankind’s inner callousness and …show more content…
This idea is systematically integrated into Faulks’ writing from the outset, initially through Bérard’s singing when, “he fixed his eyes on Madame Azaire, who was opposite… She blushed and squirmed under his unblinking stare”. Faulks purposefully transforms this minor event into a symbolic metaphorical battle, using Bérard’s overpowering demeanour as a physical manifestation of Isabelle’s oppression. Faulks places the two characters “opposite” each other, creating two distinct sides of conflict whilst also implying an equality which is utterly disregarded, showing her lack of freedom. The combative tone is enhanced through the assonance of “unblinking” eyes that are “fixed” on Isabelle, creating an almost bestial quality to Bérard that is reminiscent of a creature circling its prey. The erotic connotations of Bérard’s physical and mental bullying create a grotesque image of Isabelle’s violation, reinforcing her oppression. Similarly, Bérard’s singing is, perversely, a serenade for Isabelle, subverting a romantic gesture into a verbal assault, which illuminates Azaire’s later physical beating of his wife in their bedroom, the setting of both Azaire’s impotence and Isabelle’s sensual power. Faulks’ violent, hyperbolical lexical focus shows how even a minor loss of freedom can cause untold suffering. He distills this suffering into a moment of physical and mental degradation when Isabelle is violated by Azaire, exemplifying the pattern of escalating suffering that Faulks applies throughout the
Timothy Findley Creates a fictional world through his novels, where readers can relate to the situations and characters. The protagonists that Findley creates are often similar and connected to the hardships that they eventually encounter and defeat or that which they are defeated by. Findley takes his readers back in time to the First World War, displaying his knowledge of history and research, where the hardships of a young soldier’s battles internally and externally are brought to the reader’s attention in his historical-fiction novel The Wars. Findley writes about the reality and absurdity of the First World War, and takes the reader’s on a journey through the active reading process to find what is “sane” and “Insane” throughout the duration of the novel. Following the journey of the protagonist, Robert Ross as he enlists in the Canadian Army after the death of his sister Rowena, and undoubtedly is the turning point of the text and ideally where Findley initiates the active reading process, and where the contents placed in the story by Findley, are analyzed and opinionated based on the reader’s perception and subjectivity of truth. Essayist Anne Reynolds writes “ Findley manages, through technical prowess, to combine Hemingway-like choices of clear moment searing horror and truth at the battlefront with scenes depicting the effects of war on the families and lovers of the soldiers.” (Reynolds, 4) According to Reynolds Findley has been able to display the absurdity and affect that not only the First World War has caused but the ludicrousness war in general has caused the families of soldiers, and society as a whole. Using the literary theory of deconstruction many aspects and scenarios in The Wars can be analyzed, as Fin...
The powerful poem ‘Weapons Training’ showcases a sergeant, through malicious words, guiding his troops. However it is through ‘Homecoming’, where Dawe exposes the brutal hopelessness brought forth by the futility of war. Therefore it can be seen that war has an emotional toll on both families and the soldiers. Both poems have a recurring message that all war does is bring loss, death and mourning, showcasing Dawes strong opinions about a futile
Faulks’ ‘Birdsong’ is a novel which spans three different time periods, in all of which we meet characters directly connected to the War. Faulks choice of structure allows us to view the impact of the War from numerous viewpoints as well as understanding its significance today. Faulks uses the structure of the novel as well as language to demonstrate this.
In the history of modern western civilization, there have been few incidents of war, famine, and other calamities that severely affected the modern European society. The First World War was one such incident which served as a reflection of modern European society in its industrial age, altering mankind’s perception of war into catastrophic levels of carnage and violence. As a transition to modern warfare, the experiences of the Great War were entirely new and unfamiliar. In this anomalous environment, a range of first hand accounts have emerged, detailing the events and experiences of the authors. For instance, both the works of Ernst Junger and Erich Maria Remarque emphasize the frightening and inhumane nature of war to some degree – more explicit in Jünger’s than in Remarque’s – but the sense of glorification, heroism, and nationalism in Jünger’s The Storm of Steel is absent in Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. Instead, they are replaced by psychological damage caused by the war – the internalization of loss and pain, coupled with a sense of helplessness and disconnectedness with the past and the future. As such, the accounts of Jünger and Remarque reveal the similar experiences of extreme violence and danger of World War I shared by soldiers but draw from their experiences differing ideologies and perception of war.
A Comparison in the Presentation of the ‘Horrors of War’ in Birdsong and A Journey’s End
...seful miscommunication between men and women. Lastly, when looking through the imagined perspective of the thoughtless male tricksters, the reader is shown the heartlessness of men. After this reader’s final consideration, the main theme in each of the presented poems is that both authors saw women as victims of a male dominated society.
Justine, too, is an ‘idealised figure’, described during the trial as having a countenance which, ‘always engaging, was rendered, by the solemnity of her feelings, exquisitely beautiful.’ She is the archetypal innocent, being beautiful, weak and entirely accepting of her fate to the point of martyrdom.
Throughout her transformation, she does not only lose her unwanted body parts but also herself. She was “born as usual.” She was “healthy.” She was “intelligent.” Yet, she “offered” her body and became an object for others to point and critique at. Upon the judgments that are harshly thrown at the poor child, “her good nature [was] worn out/like a fan belt.” The poet creates this simile and the tone of insecurity to show that over a long period of time she is no longer able to take in any more criticism. She cannot be “apologizing” any more for how she is. Thus, she conforms to the ways of society by having pieces of her cut off. She becomes a doll, an object that does not live life and that is easily wielded and manipulated by others. This child takes her own freedom away, a freedom that Louise from Chopin’s work strives
Throughout their lives, people must deal with the horrific and violent side of humanity. The side of humanity is shown through the act of war. This is shown in Erich Remarque’s novel, “All Quiet on the Western Front”. War is by far the most horrible thing that the human race has to go through. The participants in the war suffer irreversible damage by the atrocities they witness and the things they go through.
Bruce Weigl’s work gives readers an accurate glimpse of what took place in Vietnam. His poetry reveals a harsher reality of the war that goes beyond the raw number of people who perished. The idea that real human beings are casualties in war is a burden Weigl and fellow Vietnam War poets share. To this day American’s simply see the fallen as just names and bodies, nothing further. Weigl serves as a forefront example of just how painful and disturbing the war was and his poetry is greatly influenced by it in nearly every facet. Moreover, it’s a reminder that the images he witnessed are unforgettable and are completely ingrained in his mind to the point where horror is the focus and projecting it as beautiful if his main goal.
In many well-known stories or movies, the most dominant and heroic character stands to be the main character of the work; however realism tends to shed a light on the “little guy” or the guy behind the scenes. Therefore, Gustav Flaubert’s “A Simple Heart” serves as an excellent example of realism because rather than focusing on the middle class widow, Madame Aubain, this story focuses on her servant, Félicité. Although this story discusses Madame Aubain’s pain, suffering, and mistreatment of Félicité, it also discusses how Félicité stands beside her through thick and thin.
Gustave Flaubert incorporates and composes a realistic piece of literature using realistic literary techniques in his short story, “A Simple Heart.” Flaubert accomplishes this through telling a story that mimics the real life of Félicité, and writing fiction that deliberately cuts across different class hierarchies; through this method, Flaubert is able to give the reader a clear understanding of the whole society. Flaubert makes the unvarnished truth about simple hearts clear by exposing a clear replica of a realistic story, therefore, allowing the reader to clearly understand the society and the different classes of characters. The story, “A Simple Heart” focuses on the life of a naive, simple-minded underclass maid, Félicité, and her encounters with those around her.
...is story, Hemingway brings the readers back the war and see what it caused to human as well as shows that how the war can change a man's life forever. We think that just people who have been exposed to the war can deeply understand the unfortunates, tolls, and devastates of the war. He also shared and deeply sympathized sorrows of who took part in the war; the soldiers because they were not only put aside the combat, the war also keeps them away from community; people hated them as known they are officers and often shouted " down with officers" as they passing. We have found any blue and mournful tone in this story but we feel something bitter, a bitter sarcasm. As the war passing, the soldiers would not themselves any more, they became another ones; hunting hawks, emotionless. They lost everything that a normal man can have in the life. the war rob all they have.
The relationship shared by Pierre and Helene is best described as a lustful charade. It is no coincidence that Pierre, one of the most introspective characters in the novel, first marries a shallow, inwardly-ugly adulterer. His first recorded attitude towards Helene is one of admira...
In line with the feeble and vulnerable portrait of human beings, nature is described as dangerous and uncontrollable on the one hand; beautiful on the other. The tone of the waves is "thunderous and mighty" and the gulls are looked upon as "uncanny and sinister.