Critical Review Of Joan Littlewood's Oh What A Lovely War

War. This word stirs up an abundance of different emotions. Feelings such as fear, pain and frustration are brought to the surface. But there is also contrasting views to this topic. When someone else hears the word “war,” they may feel power, opportunity or victory. In his novel The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien highlights the array of emotions that war encompasses. “War is hell, but that's not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery” (O’Brien 76). This quote perfectly illustrates how many different feelings one goes through when faced with this topic. It can be concluded

Jill Lepore was born in a small town outside of Worcester, Massachusetts. Lepore claims she wanted to be a writer from a young age and had no aspiration or inclination to become a historian. Lepore received her B.A from Tufts University, then got her M.A. at Michigan University, following after she earned her Ph.D. at Yale University. “History is the art of making an argument about the past by telling a story accountable to evidence”, she says. For her to write a story about history with only evidence as her core material, it is truly amazing. Lepore has won many awards and honors with great essays, reports, and books. As I have looked into her background,

War is an objective obstacle that at most times can be avoided. Conversely, when it rears its ugly head it becomes bothersome and ends up dividing countries and families. One of the most memorable wars will be the Vietnam War. In “The Things They Carried,” Tim O'Brien uses contrast and contradictions to reveal the character’s feeling and the effect of war to bring about the theme of peace and war.

All Quiet on the Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, is a thought provoking tale about war, and the soldiers who fight these wars. The main character is an 18 year old boy named Paul Bäumer. Bäumer, growing up in Germany, decides to enlist in the army alongside his classmates after persuasion from his teacher. His story begins at the front lines of World War One. After two weeks on the front, Paul’s company receives a reprieve from fighting. 80 of the original 150 men in the company (Second Company) return. During his time off, Bäumer begins to reflect upon the circumstances that brought him there, his brutal time in training, and the death of one of his close friends. Over the course of this time of reflection, reinforcements arrive, and Bäumer’s company is redeployed into the front.

“It’s not pretty exactly. It’s astonishing. It fills the eye. It commands you,” (81) is a quote from Tim O’Brien’s book, The Things They Carried. This quote shows how war can affect an individual through taking over one’s body and mind. War affects everyone in different ways, but it is impossible to understand how war affects each and every single person. The texts and forms of art communicate different ideas to the viewer. It is through interpreting these texts that humans get a better idea of the overall impact of war. When individuals experience war, they lose their innocence and morality. This will be evident through “How to Tell a True War Story,” “The Wound,” and “Machine Gun.”

Prior to this quote, O’Brien questions how one generalizes war. With this long, incredibly broad description of war, it is clear that the true essence of war cannot be described. All of the words that are used to describe war are contradictory. War for each individual person can be different. Just as O’Brien introduces the idea that “war is grotesque,” he also states that “war is also beauty” (O’Brien 77). Thus, war can be interpreted in a myriad of ways, allowing each individual to take away a different perception of war.

Highly controversial, the Vietnam War incited widespread anti-war protests throughout the United States. Those most averse to the war were the young adults who were greatly affected by the draft. Consequently, many demonstrations were held at colleges and universities. Strongly opposed to the conflict in Vietnam, Tim O’Brien participated in many of these rallies during his time at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Although O’Brien had a bright future awaiting him at Harvard Graduate School, his political career was cut short upon receiving a draft notice just weeks after graduating. O’Brien was sent to Vietnam where he served from 1968 to 1970 in an infantry unit. Upon returning from the war, O’Brien described his experiences in a

Going to war is scary and sometimes traumatizing. It can affect men and woman for several of years afterwards, even until death. You cannot just erase what these men and woman have witnessed and been through. These brave souls have to carry the embarrassment, the shame, and the guilt with them forever. Going to war, and having to do all the horrific things soldiers do, can cause them to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“War is Hell!” These three words have stood the test of time and numerous wars. These words uttered by General William Sherman, a unionist Civil War Veteran, perfectly describe the hardships faced by all soldiers, from the American Revolutionist to the modern day soldier in Afghanistan. Tim O’Brien served in the Vietnam Conflict from 1968 to 1970, (O’Brien 1131) during some of the most intense fighting known as the Tet Offensive (Durkin). During the conflict 58,202 Americans were killed in action (Durkin) and hundreds of thousands, more were left with not only the physical scars of war but the emotional ones too. In the short story “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien uses symbolism and conflict to show that soldiers often carry more weight than what is on their backs.

Everywhere thick, hot gory blood drips from comrade’s wounds. The stench of death hovers in the air and encases every movement. A faint buzz whizzes into the ear drums as shells and bullets fluster by with brilliant flashes of light. These are the everyday encounters of a soldier on the front. No words can even begin to touch the realness of terror that soldiers experience every day. Young recruits are reeled into this torture and sacrifice everything they have and love for their country. Lively hopefuls are transformed into the unfeeling. The soldiers must think of memories as, “too grievous for us [them] to reflect on them at once.” (pp. 138) They forget, lest their state of mind plummet. Few, if any capture the graphic life and thoughts of the soldier better than Enrich Maria Remarque in his moving book All Quiet on the Western Front. This epic book follows a young German military recruit named Paul Bäumer and his classmates who come face to face with the gunfire of the Allies during World War I. Through Remarque’s well-chosen words and imagery, an average citizen is transported from their comfy home to the trenches and front lines of heated battle. In Enrich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, he successfully illustrates what it’s like to be a soldier during war and the extent in which everyday people sacrifice their lives when fighting for their country.

The novel, Slopes of War, by Norah Perez is a historical fiction book based on the gruesome events that occurred during the Civil War. These events all had a significant theme within them. Throughout the novel the themes in which I think were significantly portrayed were love, the needing of another and the fear of failure.

I read this book called All Quiet on the Western Front. The author of this book is named Erich Maria Remarque. The book has twelve chapters and 296 pages. The book tells the story of Paul Bäumer, a German soldier who—urged on by his school teacher—joins the German Army shortly after the start of World War 1. His class was scattered over the platoons amongst Frisian fishermen, peasants, and labourers.

War is seen as a way for countries to gain power, but what about the people in it? For those people, war is a curse that causes regret, war is a curse that stays with someone even after the war, and war is a curse that makes someone do the unthinkable. One example how war is a curse is that it causes regret. In Ambush from The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, the story is about a veteran that faces his regret when his young daughter asks him if he has killed anyone. Later in the story he says, “Sometimes I forgive myself, other times I don’t. In the ordinary hours of life I try not to dwell on it, but now and then, when I’m reading a newspaper or just alone in a room, I’ll look up and see the young man coming out of the morning fog” (O’Brien 2).

During the 19th century, theater adopted a realistic viewpoint by romanticism but also a rise in modern nationalism to give people a sense of belonging in a community or culture (Carlson 2014: 21). In the 20th century, realism in theater was challenged and plays were now easier to attend due to the improvements of communication and the ability to reach other areas of the world by travel (Carlson 2014: 23-24). Theater is another addition to the world of art that is continuously evolving and adapting to the world and cultures influencing its

Joan Littlewood was a director who was born in Stockwell, London in 1934. Growing up, she was trained as an actress, but soon decided to move to Manchester because she was unhappy with her lifestyle.. In Manchester, she meets Ewan MacColl. Ewan was an English folk singer, songwriter, actor, etc. With him, she was able to get a jump start in her career. They were so fond of each other,