Compare And Contrast The Presentation Of Stanhope

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I agree to a certain extent that Stanhope is shown with all his weaknesses whereas Sassoon is idealised; the first impression given to us of Stanhope is that he is a heavy drinker however he is clearly someone who commands loyalty and the fact that he has not taken proper leave in three years clearly indicates his attitude to duty and his strength of character. He is also hero-worshipped by Raleigh for whom he feels personal responsibility and recognises the need to protect him, yet he feels he cannot do so under the circumstances. Of all the characters in ‘Regeneration’, it is Sassoon who conforms most easily to the conventional role of the hero. Barker makes several references in the novel to his height and good looks, which is not usual in a novel that is more concerned with internal states than external appearance. Although Sassoon appears to be, and in many ways is, an exemplary soldier-poet, he is as flawed and contradictory as any other figure in ‘Regeneration’. His German first name and Jewish family name compromise his status as an officer and a gentleman, just as his ‘Declaration’ is a surprising departure from his previously unblemished military record; while there is no doubt that Sassoon embarks upon his protest with the best of intentions, and as York Notes says “he has little grasp of the intricacies of his situation.” Stanhope is the Captain in command of an infantry company on the front line; although he is a highly ranked officer, Stanhope “no more than a boy”. He has been out in the trenches for nearly three years, “he came straight from school when he was eighteen”, and has commanded his company for a year. The play begins with a conversation between Osborne and Hardy, both officers themselves, and it is from them that the reader gains a first impression of Stanhope. His drink problem is immediately addressed as Hardy asks, “Drinking like a
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