In Hemingway’s first novel, The Sun Also Rises, distinctive characters convey the theme of the story, sense of moralities of the lost generation during the post war. Almost all characters in this novel are injured somehow physically and psychologically. They are not able to live their own lives and show the lack of morality in many ways. Four characters, Jake, Brett, Count, and Mike each have a different code of morality or immorality. Their way of living should not be respected, but it is true that each of them is somehow struggling with their lives The antagonist and narrator of the story, Jake Barnes, experienced World War I as a soldier.
Experiences such as the loss of close relationships, the horrors of bloodshed and death and the changes in men for the worst can make any once normal man insane, just has it made Robert Ross insane. Throughout the novel we follow Robert Ross as he not only loses those he loves, but also with time, his own very mind. In the novel, The Wars, Robert Ross holds his relationship with his family dearly, but things quickly change for the worse as the war in the battlefront transitions into the war with himself. During the beginning of the novel Robert Ross lives a content and tolerable life with his beloved sister Rowena, his stern Mother Mrs. Ross, his lenient Father Mr. Ross and his brother. Roberts’s relationship with Rowena is one that he holds dearly.
The mark left on them will always be there whether it be physically, emotionally, mentally,or all of the above. Once war touches someone, engulfs them, or merely brushes past them it sticks to the person never allowing them to move on and return to the way it used t be before they were put through such an experience; once that happens there's no going back. Ernest Hemingway's writings such as The Sun Also Rises, "Soldier's Home", and "In Another Country", reveals to the readers the struggles in which Veterans face after the war. The main characters feel alone in the world because society does not understand them nor do their families. They feel as though that the only other people in the world who can understand them are other war veterans.
“The Lost Battalion” Review: The main issues Major Whittlesey had to face in commanding the 308th were to lead his troops into the German lines at the Argonne forest and to keep advancing following the command given to him, also because he was promised supplies and back up, which gave him a little bit of hope at least but which he never ended up getting. Being an inexperienced army commander from New York, who managed the situation with insecurity and naïve war strategies, he was aware that this battle could result not only in the death of most of his men but also of his own. Major Whittlesey found himself in a very risky situation without any alternatives but to keep fighting: the 308th was surrounded by the Germans, in an unknown location, with only very few supplies left and thousands of his soldiers dying helpless. He also had to face problems of communication with the headquarters, because the telephone lines were so easily cut that he had to rely on pigeons and runners, which then led to miscommunication and the general did not even know his position. That’s why the supplies never reached the 308th and many of his men had to die without medical and food supplies.
Shifting Mindsets of War As is common knowledge in present day, war has transformative effects. Many soldiers come back from fighting with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) due to the horrendous sights and actions occurring on a daily basis. Ford Madox Ford illustrates this phenomena by constructing a significant character transformation caused by the war in No More Parades through Tietjens, as he becomes more open emotionally, and loses a bit of the cold reservation he is known and prided for as an English Tory. Prior to the war, flashbacks and reflection show that Christopher Tietjens had been a very reserved character. For example even the personal matter of caring for his sick child was done with a cold lack of emotion: “He had taken the responsibility.
Jake handles the war injury as well as anyone could. “What’s the matter with you anyway?” “I got hurt in the war”(24) Even though he turns to alcohol and feels lonely every once in a while he passes that by confiding in new friends and making memories with the old ones as well. Brett Ashley was another character impacted by the war. Her husband had died in battle and it was extremely tough to get through. “During the war.
To truly understand what I live with, my demons of torture I need to explain what I go through daily. Many people who have day to day contact with me aren’t even aware that I deal with PTSD. In fact many of those people aren’t even aware that I am a combat veteran. I do not broadcast that particular information because I don’t think of myself as a hero. I went into combat as a naïve 20 year old and came out of combat a little damaged.
The soldiers that were fighting at war were dehumanised in many ways. Owen portrays this in his poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth”. During the war, soldiers were forced to go and fight for their country inorder to be labelled as ‘real men’. Due to the mistreatment, other teenage boys were suffering as they knew their time would eventually come to face their doom. “what passing-bells… for these who witnessed it”.
Wilfred Owen uses contrast in this poem to help show the major changes for example “ There was an artist silly for his face, For it was younger than his youth, last year. Now, he is old; his back will never brace” This talks about before the war he would have people wanting his picture. But now no-one wants to see him, he looks old even though he is still young and his back will not support him. Many soldiers lost their limbs in battle and this poem helps people realise the pain the soldiers went through both physical and mental. “Mental Cases” is about the men who went crazy due to the events of World War I. it helps explain how these men looked with the use of half-rhymes, metaphors and similes “ drooping tongues from jaws that slob their relish, Baring teeth that leer like skullls teeth wicked?” This talks about what the men looked like after going crazy.
He writes that “voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn” which indicates that laughter of children saddens him as he isn’t capable of laughing, because of the war. The idea of Owen constantly thinking about the effects of the war is portrayed where it is written “sleep mothered them from him.” This shows that the laughing and innocence of children has been taken away from many younger soldiers including him, which keeps playing on his mind. The second stanza begins with Owen reminiscing about the pre-war period where the “town used to swing so gay,” meaning that everything was joyful and everyone was content before the war broke out. It is also indicated where Owen writes, “In the old times.” This idea of the war changing everything is shown where it is mentioned that men “threw away their knees” suggesting that