The dawning of the twentieth century and evolution of modernist literature brought new insights on life, death, separation, and man's purpose, often reflecting the devastation and insecurity left by the Great War which swept away the optimism and idealism of previous modes of thinking. Ernest Hemingway and Sherwood Anderson, both gifted and well-known authors of the era, expressed the transition towards a radical change in culture through their literature, often reflecting the discrepancy between past traditions and ideas and those they foresaw in the future. Underlying the texts of both "In Another Country" and "The Corn planting", the authors uniquely utilize the themes of alienation, death, and bewilderment through their differing, first-person …show more content…
For much of the short story, the narrator only passively describes the farming and humble life of both Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson, as well as their prestigious son Will. In fact, though he went to school with Will, the rest of his and the reader's knowledge concerning Will's later life comes secondhand from the narrator's own acquaintance, Hal Weyman. Then, when Will is killed in the car accident, the narrator only learns about his death due to the telegraph's accidental drop off at Hal's place. Likewise, when Hal approaches the Hutchinsons house and knocks on the door, the narrator states that he on the other hand, "stayed in the road" (). When the Hutchinsons seek consolation from their bewilderment and loss, they simply revert to what is natural for them- farming and planting corn. With this great change in their lives and having lost their only son, they turn to their familiar and comfortable land, and thus "in the moonlight…they were planting corn" (32). Yet Anderson's narrator again only passively watches from a distance this hauntingly, beautiful scene of mourning. Therefore, he describes the whole scene as "a thing to curl your hair" and questions, "what's the use?" ().There is a sort of chasm for the peripheral narrator in "The Corn Planting", separating and thereby preventing him from understanding …show more content…
As World War I and modern innovations lead the world into unknown territories, both uniquely authors reflect their corresponding sentiments and ideas through both Hemmingway's directly involved narrator Anderson's peripheral narrator. Either text reveals the uncertainty, alienation, bewilderment, and insights toward death, that each author not only deployed within their writing, but also recognized as crucial concepts in their ever-changing, modern
“In Another Country,” by Ernest Hemingway, is a short story about a few wounded soldiers after World War I. Hemingway uses different techniques to create the mood of despair. Setting, elements of futility, and isolation of the characters develop the mood.
The topic of war is hard to imagine from the perspective of one who hasn't experienced it. Literature makes it accessible for the reader to explore the themes of war. Owen and Remarque both dipcik what war was like for one who has never gone through it. Men in both All Quiet on the Western Front and “Dulce Et Decorum” experience betrayal of youth, horrors of war and feelings of camaraderie.
99) Along with other narrators, Bromberg has “little to report about the next phase [1932 through the beginning of World War II] until they are directly affected by the war through military conscription or Allied bombing raids on their home town” (Bessel, p. 101). Herbert’s recurring theme is that “’Quiet’, ‘normal’ times, then, clearly leave behind few experiences that are imprinted on the memory and recalled in the narratives; ‘disturbed’, ‘bad’ times are filled with unique and extraordinary experiences, and come up at corresponding length in the life stories” (Bessel, p. 101).
“We are forlorn like children, and experienced like old men, we are crude and sorrowful and superficial, I believe we are lost” (Remarque 123). World War I is a tragic event that occurred in 1914 to 1918. Paul Baumer and the rest of the soldiers in the novel of “All Quiet in the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque are lost; they are broken from the fist World War, they don’t know anything aside from War, and they have lost their innocence during the years of maturation. When the young men heard about the War, they were excited, and full of life, they thought they were going on an adventure.
The true horrors of World War I are difficult to convey through traditional written word. David Malouf’s Fly Away Peter is a novella which uses relatable characters and stereotypes to provide a window for audiences to engage with warfare. This is enhanced by an array of poetic and descriptive language with vivid imagery to truly channel the anguish and confusion of soldiers in war to the audience. Juxtaposition is Malouf’s greatest asset, along with religious symbolism and allusion add subtext to the novella. These techniques allow Malouf to condemn war, create a novella of dualities and illuminate the true meaning life.
Penned during two distinctly disparate eras in American military history, both Erich Maria Remarque's bleak account of trench warfare during World War I, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Tim O'Brien's haunting elegy for a generation lost in the jungles of Vietnam, The Man I Killed, present readers with a stark reminder that beneath the veneer of glorious battle lies only suffering and death. Both authors imbue their work with a grim severity, presenting the reality of war as it truly exists. Men inflict grievous injuries on one another, breaking bodies and shattering lives, without ever truly knowing for what or whom they are fighting for. With their contributions to the genre of war literature, both Remarque and O'Brien have sought to lift the veil of vanity which, for so many wartime writers, perverts reality with patriotic fervor. In doing so, the authors manage to convey the true sacrifice of the conscripted soldier, the broken innocence which clouds a man's first kill, and the abandonment of one's identity which becomes necessary in order to kill again.
Memoirs of war often reflect the positive or negative experiences endured throughout battle. Considered by many to be one of the best memoirs of World War I, Hervey Allen’s “Toward the Flame”, recalls his own experiences of battle. His recollection of events shows that he had a negative image of war and that there was nothing glorious about it. What started out looking like a man’s greatest adventure turned into a shell-shocking reality that war is actually horrible and trying. Allen’s experiences with consistent hunger, mustard gas, and artillery shellings led to his disillusionment with war, and left him with a permanent hatred of battle.
In the incredible book, All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, the reader follows Paul Baumer, a young man who enlisted in the war. The reader goes on a journey and watches Paul and his comrades face the sheer brutality of war. In this novel, the author tries to convey the fact that war should not be glorified. Through bombardment, gunfire, and the gruesome images painted by the author, one can really understand what it would have been like to serve on the front lines in the Great War. The sheer brutality of the war can be portrayed through literary devices such as personification, similes, and metaphors.
In 1914-1919, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was the cause of World War One, resulting in conflicts between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. In the Great War, No Man’s Land was a dividing field from the opposing trenches located in France. Soldiers were forced to cross the land to push forward their side of the battle, to either take control or defend the territory. Gas was often used in the trenches to wipe out large groups of soldiers at a time. During the battle, soldiers would come across harsh conditions such as disease, treacherous terrain, and the passing of men. Soldiers sent into war experienced hard decisions and tragedies which can change their mentality. In the story, The Wars Timothy Findley develops the idea that when an individual faces dilemmas in life, one’s innocence can vary due to a person’s human nature.
In this essay, I will discuss how Tim O’Brien’s works “The Things They Carried” and “If I Die in a Combat Zone” reveal the individual human stories that are lost in war. In “The Things They Carried” O’Brien reveals the war stories of Alpha Company and shows how human each soldier is. In “If I Die in a Combat Zone” O’Brien tells his story with clarity, little of the dreamlike quality of “Things They Carried” is in this earlier work, which uses more blunt language that doesn’t hold back. In “If I Die” O’Brien reveals his own personal journey through war and what he experienced. O’Brien’s works prove a point that men, humans fight wars, not ideas. Phil Klay’s novel “Redeployment” is another novel that attempts to humanize soldiers in war. “Redeployment” is an anthology series, each chapter attempts to let us in the head of a new character – set in Afghanistan or in the United States – that is struggling with the current troubles of war. With the help of Phil Klay’s novel I will show how O’Brien’s works illustrate and highlight each story that make a war.
The corn field that George Willard views and the time that Nately gives Lucinda music symbolize the fulfillment that results from being able to depend on others. George Willard takes Helen White and wanders out into the countryside. Together and in silence,“They went along a path past a field of corn that had not yet been cut. The wind whispered among the dry corn blades” (Anderson 5). Similarly Lucinda walks back towards her house in silence until Nately says, “‘...so I don’t know if I can get to everything, but I’ll try hard. Let’s meet here same time two weeks from today, and I’ll give you what I’ve got’” (Squires 16). In order to become tall, a stalk of corn needs all the other corn in the field to survive. A single stalk of corn is unable to stand by itself. In a similar manner Lucinda would not be able to grow and mature if she did not have Nately to bring her music. Nately is like the other corn in field, supporting Lucinda and helping her mature. If one stalk of corn tried to stand on its own, it would be blown over by the “whispered wind”. The “whispered wind” is similar to Nately sharing music with Lucinda because Nately is not supposed to see Lucinda, their meeting, “two weeks from today”, is like a whispered secret between the two of them. As the “whispered wind” shares messages through the corn, Nately shares music with Lucinda. She depends on him to meet her “two weeks from today” and give her music. Lucinda depends on Nately in the same way that all the corn stalks in the field depend on the other corn stalks to grow tall and mature. The corn in the field that George observes and the set times where Nately gives Lucinda music represent the fulfillment that comes from being able to rely on others.
The short story “In Another Country” by Ernest Hemingway is a short story about an American soldier who is wounded in World War I. The character goes to a hospital for rehabilitation and meets other wounded soldiers. The mood of the story is one of despair. Setting, elements of futility in the plot, and isolation of the characters all contribute to the grim mood.
Novels published after a major war are often the most deeply emotional, profound ruminations on human nature. The authors of these novels were once soldiers, living in fear and enduring sleepless nights. These authors channel their experiences and emotions into their work, often creating masterpieces of literature. A Farewell to Arms is one such novel. Its author, Ernest Hemingway, was in the Italian ambulance corps in World War I, much like the protagonist of A Farewell to Arms, Frederic Henry. The themes in A Farewell to Arms reflect his mentality and the typical soldier’s disillusionment in the institutions and values he had always held close. A Farewell to Arms explores the far-reaching disillusionment that seems to plague Frederic. The theme of Frederic Henry’s disillusionment of all that he believes in appears through his desertion of the war, the deterioration of his relationship with Catherine, and his thoughts on life.
Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams” and Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” exemplify both author’s different focus and account
The Great War, as it is famously known, caused a major cultural shift. It had the consequences of breaking the social norms that existed at that time and was replaced with newer ways of interaction with the world. The war prompted the society to be more experimental and convinced them to embrace the unfamiliarity of individualism. The people saw war as a constant and therefore were actively looking for means to escape this reality. As the lost generation focused their literature on the inner workings of their consciousness, so did the society, but wholesomely. Due to this fact, the Modernist writers cultivated the core and fundamental virtues of that era that is how the inner consciousness functions and how it affects the self. The Big Two-Hearted River by Hemmingway is a perfect example of this Modernism shift since it describes the life of a soldier coming back from war, in the quest of serenity after the mental torment suffered during the