What things might a soldier experience in war? What things would a soldier experience enough to ultimately change him? In Harrison’s novel Generals Die in Bed (GDIB), the horror of war is an underlying theme and is depicted through many of the challenges the narrator encounters in the text. The horror of war is portrayed through the course of the novel through things such as having a constant fear of the unknown, the psychological effects of war, man’s inhumanity to other men, and ultimately: death. Not knowing what’s around the corner is always a terrifying feeling.
The emotion a soldier experiences cannot be understood by anyone except those in war. This emotion is unique to each individual, as we all have different outlooks on life, death and war. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’s experience of the death of Lavender undoubtedly illustrates the effect war eventually makes on a soldier. Due to his mistake, Cross “felt shame. He hated himself.
This emotional turmoil is portrayed as powerful “blows in (her) face and (her) body” showing how painful that these deaths were for her and how influential they were in the loss of Belle Reve. The readers could attribute these deaths as the cause for Blanche’s seemingly fragile nature because family grievances can very difficult to cope with and more than one in such a short space of time may mean that it takes a long time to find a coping mechanism. Furthermore, the deaths could offer an explanation as to why Blanche won’t stand in the light and prefers a different light. Funerals and deaths are stereotypically associated with darkness and the colour black and so it could suggest that when Blanche evades
Whilst Owen loathes those who encouraged “children ardent” for “desperate glory,” some of his strongest resentment is shown through his reflection on the aftermath of war. By firstly illustrating the wretched circumstances of war, Owen castigates family relatives as well as the government who inspired these “boys” to go off to war. However, Owen actively denounces people that did not have to experience war first-hand, especially women that alienated injured soldiers returning from war. While Owen reveals his disdain for the propagandist and those who underestimate the cruelty of war, his later pieces disclose his hatred toward the pointless nature of war itself. Having experienced the appalling conditions of the front line, some of Owen’s greatest criticism is upon those that encouraged “boys” to enlist themselves.
Arriving When Father Vincent says “Fear is a journey, a terrible journey, but sorrow is at least an arriving,” he means that uncertainty can sometimes be worse than knowing bad news because at least there is solidity with knowledge. This quote not only applies to Cry, the Beloved Country but the world in general, for it's the universal theme of the book. In Cry, the Beloved Country, the main character, Umfundisi Stephen Kumalo, is on a journey for the whole of the book. He's on a quest to not only find his son and sister but find out why the world works the way it does. It is a horrible journey, and one that seems to have no end.
Suicide is a cowardly deed because it is an act of hiding from the truth and avoiding the consequences ahead; yet our esteemed war veterans cannot continue to exist after seeing and committing harsh actions. “Suicide is the tragic conclusion of the failure to address the spectrum of challenges returning veterans face.” (Schleifer) Veterans went to great lengths to protect our freedom and country even if it meant sacrificing their lives; however during the process they have suffered harsh tragedies. There are a number of issues that determine whether our veterans can retire in glory or wallow in their self-pity and despair. Veterans have to withstand various psychological issues from their horrific war experiences and understand what benefits and challenges are provided for them in an attempt to retire in peace. Depression is commonly known as a mental disorder: with lack of energy and difficulty in maintaining concentration or interest in life.
Mental Cases illustrate the disconnection many soldiers face in society. The rhetorical question opening the first stanza “who are these?” labels these soldiers as unearthly all the while dehumanising them by accumulating their animalistic features. Descriptions like “drooping tongues” and “baring teeth” emphasises the plight of soldiers who have experienced trauma and are unable to overcome their shock. Owen’s use of inclusive language in “surely we have perished” creates a distance between these men and the rest of society as Owen refers to them as “hellish”. Depictions of warfare and accumulated images of death in the second stanza answer the rhetorical questions in the first stanza about the origin of these creatures.
The relationships that are developed, and the way these people handle the risk, and adversity. To let everyone know when you’re having a bad day think about the hell these soldiers are going through. The things I see between Gunner Palace and The Things They Carried are that both take place in a controversial war. Both also take place in countries with civilians that hate our American soldiers and don’t even want them there in the first place. They also took place in foreign environments for Americans a Desert in Iraq, and a jungle in Vietnam.
Slavery's Impact: Diminishing human identity There are a multitude of reasons why slavery is morally wrong, but in Beloved by Toni Morrison slavery obliterates characters self-governance and value. Slavery's diminishing of human identity is a recurring theme that affects Paul D's ability to leave the past at rest. Paul D's painful "rememory" begins with Sethe, but the throbbing of the past is too much for him. He fears the past emotionally and therefore develops a defenses mechanisms: a "tobacco tin" that locks his emotions and memory. (86) Paul D functions by imagining his heart as a tobacco tin where he keeps painful memories and emotions in " rest where it belonged: in that tobacco tin ...in his chest where a red heart used to be...rusted shut."
Jessie Pope is of a different view, she was not a soldier like Owen and had no experience in warfare at all and especially trench fighting. Wilfred Owen’s poems are very sad and bleak; there is a harsh realistic feel to them. Jessie Pope on the other hand uses her poetry as an advertisement for the war and describes it as a ‘game’ and ‘fun’. The contrast is quite extreme, on one side the war is being described, by an ex-serviceman as a horrific, terrifying experience, but on the other side a comparison to a team game. The two writers were very different; Jessie Pope had a few excuses for misinforming the public with her poetry, firstly she was an inexperienced journalist and she did write ‘Who’s for the Game’ in the early stages of the war and therefore not many battles had been lost by the British army yet, so there was still a lot of confidence in the British public.