Commentary On The Introduction Of Back By Henry Green

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An overview of the opening paragraphs, of the novel ‘Back’; suggests the sensory experiences of an alienated character, Charley; the protagonist and an injured war-prisoner, who returns to England, from a prison-camp, only to find out that the woman he loved, and dreamt about during rough days and nights, was now dead and resting in peace in a graveyard, which was previously; a terra-incognita for her. This introductory text; sets up the setting, introduces the main characters, and the main themes of the novel. Symbolism plays a crucial role in this exposition. The author uses a lot of symbols in the form of objects, in order to; emphasize on the grieving tone, the melancholic mood, and also to reinforce the main ideas and underlying themes of the text. The novel begins with a young man getting out of a bus. This can be interpreted to be the end of a journey, and consequently; the beginning of a new one. Immediately, the reader is drawn into a lamentable mood as the character appears to have a wooden leg. By this description, the author, Henry Green; constructs a disturbing atmosphere as the reader gets curious, in order to find out on the reasons for the young man’s injury. The bus acts as a medium of transportation and points out on the theme of journey. In a higher context, a journey symbolizes; life, as birth indicating its start-off and death as its final destiny. The interesting part is that; the author begins the novel with the end of a journey, and a new beginning. Therefore this can be interpreted as an end of a life and the beginning of a new one. This can also be a foreshadowing to the later events in the novel. The author describes the roadway below the church to be asphalted blue. In this way; he begins to setup the setting using colour symbolism. The blue colour is often used to signify a melancholy and grieving
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