War from a Literary Concept - Essay Example

You’re Name Professor Course 06 June 2006 War from a Literary Concept War is not pretty by any standard. It is filled with bloody fighting and death, all in order to obtain a goal of peace at the end of the conflict. To some, war makes no logical sense as it leads to more violence and a multitude of lost lives. Remarque’s, “All quiet on the Western Front”, is an exemplary piece of work that defines the true implications of war and what they bring to society as a whole. It is told in a first person account from a soldier’s standpoint instead of from the mind of a General or a Lieutenant which quite possibly gives the story more meaning as it comes from the heart of war, more so than the sidelines of it. Remarque gives the true gist of war and how it affects the soldiers who are engaged in the actual fighting as in the novel it is a young 19 year old German private who is the main character defining the tragic events of the war. It is clearly found that war at times can be filled with terror and the fear of dying on the battle field as in this literary work it describes how both sides were unrelenting in the fighting, with both lying in trenches built for protection to aid in undercover maneuvers and to gain an upper hand at some point in the fighting. These strategic ideas are really not much different in the techniques that are used today in war time; however the main difference is that due to the advancements of war technology more lives are saved than lost which shows a striking difference between today and how it was in WWI and WWII. The insurmountable amount of lost life is one of the main issues that makes emotions become erratic during war at any point in history, as Remarque shows in this novel. This is not surprising as war is terrifying and it is only natural for any private such as “Paul” to be scared and to be filled with a huge amount of emotions that could possibly lead to a careless mistake which could result in the loss of a limb or getting killed directly from a flying bullet. These are the true underlying repercussions of war, which all of the novels that are included in this literary work point out. Not only does war solely exist on the battle field but it affects the countries involved in it as well, such as this novel in particular specifies. Families have to learn to adjust to members having to leave home to fight in a war that nine times out of ten they don’t even understand themselves. The reasons for war are often falsified in order to gain the attention of those in society and to try and build strength within the ranks of the military forces. It can also increase the chances of economic strife and create heavy financial losses for many businesses within a country. These are just a few of the economic problems that arise and lead to a shattering reality of what war really means to the people in particular. War also brings out a form of madness within soldiers in harms way. Their main goal during the fighting is only set on intending to survive the battle and in that regard this particular novel shows how the soldiers drive for life threatens those around them, be they enemy or friend. That is why it is found that often in war many die due to friendly fire because of the gross impact found within the fear of dying that lives within each and every soldier that partakes in the action of war in itself. Furthermore, many literary works depict the same frame of thought on the concept of war and the stresses that it brings; however Remarque brings these various aspects of war much closer to home for those who have never been actually been associated with the after effects of it before. This is what makes the novel so emotional because it defines how when a soldier dies in a war all that is left to remember with regard to the materialistic aspects are the boots they wore on their feet, clothing, possible photographs, and anything else that they had had which distinguished them from other soldiers in the unit. Remarque makes room to allow people to think of how the soldiers must feel and how isolated they truly are from humanity with so much violence surrounding them on a daily basis. This drives the plausibility in today’s time to think about the war that has taken place in Iraq and of which life is still being lost as well. In other words it leaves the puzzling question of what do people really know about war if they aren’t actually affected by it the way the soldiers are? They might be understanding of the dawn of a war and what might take place but when it comes down to feeling those struggling blows, those in society really have no true idea of how horrifying the reality of it is. However, by reading about it they can gain a better understanding as other literary works such as Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” gives pause to the truth of war as well. Tolstoy focus on the ravages of war in society, and not just on the battlefield as “All Quiet on the Western Front” tends to do. There needs to be a clearer understanding of how damaging war can really be to families and not just solely the soldiers themselves. There are times when war has the ability of ripping families apart due to the differences among their various beliefs and individual positions on war, and it’s semblance to what is good and evil in the world. Even in present day many people view the whole concept of war as being an evil entity that accomplishes nothing but extra violence and killing in the world. This can easily be seen in the past two wars of which numerous countries have been a part of. These recent wars have had devastating affects to economical resources in a world wide context. Not only that but for the past four years the United States in particular has been in a state of denial and isolation due to the affects of the war in the Middle East. The population is split right down the middle and there is no easy way to repair the vast differences that have taken place. Tolstoy’s novel does well to show how war has not changed over time and still carries with it the same sort of evil intent that it has always had, such as what has transcended into today’s period of life. Although many would argue that there are times when war is the only logical answer to solving international problems there are others that state that countries should be left to their own devices and allowed to make their own decisions. But the question is, when do you draw the line and how can you be sure that if you don’t act the war won’t meet you on your own door step without your country ever having wanted a part in it? These are all issues that are hinted at in the literary work of “War and Peace” which again are not so varied from the many positions of people in society today. Also, the outlook of war and what it means to the people themselves in present times is clearly demonstrated in this novel and the other subsequent novels that are being discussed. Tolstoy makes it undeniably clear that the essence of war in itself is truly evil because it takes life, ruins countries, and destroys homes and families. Of course for the country that is winning the war it is seen as a good entity because they aren’t suffering the same repercussions as the citizens of the other country are with the adversities of war. They might miss their loved ones and there is sure to be lives lost on both sides but the only way that an individual can truly understand the main concept of war is if they are on the side that is suffering from it. Otherwise it remains like disillusionment with no real factual idea of what it really does to a body of people, as Tolstoy’s work demonstrates. This is particularly true as not many people in the United States have had to face up to the true after affects of war, as some of the points in the previous novel pointed out. There have been adversities happen in the country yes, but not in the same devastating way as with the holocaust, or in WWI and WWII. War has always been outside of the United States with some incidents occurring in the country but again not fully charged enough to give the full idea of what war actually means and does 100%. In the novel a good insight is given as to what evils can take place when individuals have to leave home to fight in a war. Wives sometimes cheat, husbands cheat, people ruin other people’s lives, and it is a facet of war that can not be denied. For example, during periods of war there are more divorces that take place than at any other time in history. It is irrefutable as even in the current war time period that the world is in the divorce rate has escalated to record proportions. Some would state that this is due to the fact some people simply can’t handle the burden of losing a loved one to fight in a war while other’s often state that infidelity just runs rampant during a period of war time. It appears to be true because out of every war these occurrences have taken place. Tolstoy himself defines this in his novel as some of the characters are faced with the harsh reality of their actions at the end of the war, of course this is on the people that did not even fight in the war itself but were left behind. In this regard Tolstoy is definitely correct in showing that war can be a truly evil being and bring on not goodness in the world but a sense of corruption to a certain degree. Tolstoy’s novel also demonstrates that all that has been told with a historic euphoria can not be wholly trusted as it is not all the truth. For example, during the Russian campaign which pertains to the era of when Napoleon was a renowned leader, there is no way it can be proven what Napoleon was thinking in his military strategies even though history try’s to detail it. In this regard the history of war is not always factual but somewhat fictional just like a novel is such as Tolstoy’s novel on “War and Peace”. So Tolstoy’s main literary points in this novel were meant to focus in on family life before, during, and after a war and also to bring some truth to the actual meaning of war, instead of it staying in a shadowed and somewhat fictional light. Even though Tolstoy points out that history isn’t totally truthful about the past wars it is however found that there are plenty of personal experiences of war that can attest to the truth of the psychological affects of it to a nation or nations. To emphasis this, even poetic literature can bring a factual base into the true essence of war as it goes on personal feeling and rumored circumstance that have been passed down through the ages, such as with Ernest Hemingway’s, “A Farewell to Arms”. Again, the form of tone and voice is not so different in this work as it can be found in other literary war stories. It is based about one soldier who appears to want to womanize more so than he wants to spend any time he has with family. Of course many soldiers are like this during a time of war as they don’t know if they are going to live or die and in a way they are seemingly sewing their wild oats, but in reality it is a very inconvenient time to be doing such a thing. However, in this literary work by Hemingway he shows how life can change rather suddenly for a soldier who has grown accustomed to a certain type of living environment. For instance, the girl Catherine needs someone to show genuine affection for her due to the fact that her former beau was “blown all to bits” in the fighting within France’s borders (Hemingway 1997). However, the correlation here can be found with other soldiers today as this young soldier does not want any form of permanent connection at first, yet this somehow changes once he is injured in the fighting. This shows that many soldiers realize their true feelings about those they are closest to when they have to combat their fears of illness and death as he apparently had to do. War can change people either for the good or for the worse but in this literary work it changed Henry for the better as he was able to settle his spirits down and find love amidst a time of great tragedy and death. Nevertheless, what was sad about this novel was the fact that although Henry did find love and he did have it in his life for a certain period of time it was taken from him due to the horrors of war. In this regard, Hemingway seemingly shows how the idea that was mentioned early in the novel about “life being a dirty trick” somehow takes shape as Henry is left to deal with his wife’s death and find a way to move on from it as well of which he apparently does but not as the same person who first entered into the war as that chauvinistic, womanizing ambulance driver (Hemingway 1997). The novel demonstrates life to it’s readers in many ways, from the fighting to love, and to death as well. However, the main point that I draw away from this in regards to the concept of war is that “A Farewell to Arms” is a defined study of how people behave and what they personally believe in during times of great hardship like that of war. When the world is spinning around people, and dizzying them through the fighting, the values that they use to hold somehow dribble away into a slight existence, not seemingly as relevant as they once were. Survival is the main key of the game. Hemingway himself shows various possibilities through the different characters in the novel of how life can be during a period of war. He defines how some people are able to hold onto their ethical and moral values in the daunting face of war and tragedy while others simply have just a tendril of a thread held in their hand which shows how their frustration and despair gradually eats away at their moral obligations and previous ideals. Eventually, Hemingway shows that some of the characters barely have any decency and integrity left within them and resort to a life filled with solely senses and natural instinct, with the main being bent on survival. This of course is not to variant from the actual reality of war. In fact, in reality, this is what the likelihood of war actually brings to the people that are caught up in the middle of it and in that regard it really can’t be considered too fictionalized as there are a myriad of facts interlaced into the literature. For example, the loss of innocence is obvious in the theme of the novel as well and it is a true fact that innocence is not something that many people hold onto when they are facing their fears of possibly losing their life during a time of war. It is a fact that the loss of innocence in a time of war is actually one of the most changing circumstances of life in particular. Frederic Henry illustrates this idea the best. For example, at the beginning of the novel he is innocent as he knows nothing about the war and he is naïve in his beliefs about it, just as many soldiers in real time really are as well. However, just as war transforms real every day people in reality, as was said it changed Henry. It changes him to someone who is a cynic who has tasted glory and found it bitter. He deserts what has become a meaningless war for the most powerful personal motives: his brush with death and his love for Catherine. The irony is that in the end even this love can't triumph over fate to give meaning to his life. In a world like ours, no values can be permanent. At the end, with Catherine's death, he is left empty and disillusioned, like any real life soldier would be. Therefore, there is not one soldier who can leave a war totally behind them nor escape its far reaching wrath. War can bring peace, happiness, and all the positive things that people expect in the end but for some the finality of war only continues on a road filled with despair and emptiness. Many soldiers suffer in the face of this brutal truth and these examples are just only a few of how devastating war can become to people in a personal context, people who are even away from the main body of fighting. Another literary work that brings astonishing relevance to the idea of war is John McCrae and his poem, “In Flanders Fields”. It has to be stated that if any work is going to bring the true feelings to war then this is one of them that does it as this poem has actually gone down in the history books bringing many revelations to those who have fought in war and to those who have given their lives to the causes that have driven countries to the brink of war as well. The poem has been found to be an important Canadian contribution, in regards to literary works in the twentieth century that had themes of war. McCrae’s poem actually unified Canada when the nation needed a thread to string the young country together. The validity of this statement can be proven by the fact that even French Canadians who viewed the war in Europe as a circumstance that was foreign and did not seriously affect Canada were proud of John McCrae and his famous poem. When the need for volunteer troops was overshadowing the supply in Canada many thought conscription was needed. The country, except Quebec, voted in favor and history shows that is was stated, “In Flanders Fields” did more to make this Dominion persevere in the duty of fighting for the world’s ultimate peace than all the political speeches of the recent campaign” (Prescott 1985). Furthermore, John McCrae represented much of the spirit that kept the men fighting. His sense of duty to Canada and to the Empire never weakened. Even when he passed away from pneumonia his spirit lived on in many of the soldiers that remained dedicated to the cause the war began with. McCrae is similar to other soldiers in today’s time as he went down as a hero, not to ever be forgotten and his literary work keeps his memory alive as well. Undoubtedly he was mourned by thousands of peopled who he inspired with his literary work, especially that of “In Flanders Fields” and in fact his own death makes the poem that much more poignant, especially with the times that we are living in today and the fighting that is amongst us on a daily basis and internationally as well. His work speaks highly of his character as well and what he might have been like as a solider as his vitality and delightful vigor made him distinct, and from the reading it is easily perceived that he was a man filled with a sense of duty and obligation to his country and the common cause that many were fighting during that period of time. Again, this shows that soldiers today have that same type of dedication and perseverance to the causes that they believe in and that are affirmed by the duty they have to their country. Many might say that McCrae has instilled that view in many soldiers today as there is no doubt that his work has been read by many, especially those who are in a war time period. The verse in the poem, “In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row” has been historically revered as well by the Great War Veterans Association of Canada (McCrae 1997). This Association adopted the poppy as the Symbol of Remembrance in 1921. McCrae had a fear at the time that he wrote the poem that eventually the dead would be forgotten and therefore that is the reason the poppy was adopted as it belies that fear within McCrae’s writing. Furthermore, in 1921 the first poppies were distributed in Canada and millions wear them each November to honor those who fought for the freedom for many people. Today, whenever you see a Legion sign or read of those who fought for freedom in any war, the poppy usually accompanies the picture. John McCrae gave this blood red visual so that the pain and suffering of hundreds of thousands who died would never be forgotten. This idea still holds an insurmountable significance today for anyone who is a member of the military or for those who have lost a loved one in the military. In one final literary piece to give pause to the elements of war and real life this research looks at Tim O’Brien’s , “The Things They Carried” which is a novel focused on the Viet-Nam war and what the soldiers had to endure not only during the actual fighting but when they returned home as well. The following quote gives a direct look into the feelings many soldiers felt during the Viet-Nam war, "The pressures were enormous. They all carried ghosts. They carried their own lives,” (O’Brien 1997). This of course defines the reality of war and the fact that it is a heavy burden to carry for any soldier at any time in history. However, there have been many things that have changed for the better in the world after war has passed and this is what must be remembered in order to move progressively forward in life. Nevertheless, even as we progress we never should forget those who gave their lives in the name of freedom in order to provide a better life for others in the world as well. To conclude, all wars, whether justifiable or not, whether there is a moral benefit or not, or whether unavoidable or not, is going to hold human suffering on any party involved in it. The gathered literature in this research has shown that the horrors of war directly affect humanity in different ways, from those who are doing the fighting to the civilized population left behind. For the men that do survive death, there is always a price to pay, which is a transformation from what they were before to what they unwillingly must or will become due to the pressures of the war. Moreover, if the grounds for the war are ambiguous and hence soldiers do not comprehend it or acquire a sense of purpose or mission, as was in the Vietnam War, the toll on the human spirit is even greater. The various pieces of literature have emphasized these facts as well. In finality, the only hope that anyone could be favored with is that war will not have to be an ongoing phenomena that is meant to bring peace and new life to others. It is hoped that the world can somehow live peacefully among each different nationality and that the idea of war will soon be something of the past that will not pose a disparity on future generations who would then have to begin dealing with the tragedies of it all over again. War will be remember, it is not something that can ever be forgotten, but that does not mean it has to continue on forever. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. Simon & Schuster Publications, 1997. McCrae, John. In Flander’s Field. Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, 1997. O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Concordance Publications, 1994. Prescott, John. In Flander’s Field. Toronto: William Briggs, 1919. Remarque, Erich. All Quiet on the Western Front. Phoenix: Random House Publications, 2001. Tolstoy, Leo. War and Peace. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Read More

Not only does war solely exist on the battle field but it affects the countries involved in it as well, such as this novel in particular specifies. Families have to learn to adjust to members having to leave home to fight in a war that nine times out of ten they don’t even understand themselves. The reasons for war are often falsified in order to gain the attention of those in society and to try and build strength within the ranks of the military forces. It can also increase the chances of economic strife and create heavy financial losses for many businesses within a country.

These are just a few of the economic problems that arise and lead to a shattering reality of what war really means to the people in particular. War also brings out a form of madness within soldiers in harms way. Their main goal during the fighting is only set on intending to survive the battle and in that regard this particular novel shows how the soldiers drive for life threatens those around them, be they enemy or friend. That is why it is found that often in war many die due to friendly fire because of the gross impact found within the fear of dying that lives within each and every soldier that partakes in the action of war in itself.

Furthermore, many literary works depict the same frame of thought on the concept of war and the stresses that it brings; however Remarque brings these various aspects of war much closer to home for those who have never been actually been associated with the after effects of it before. This is what makes the novel so emotional because it defines how when a soldier dies in a war all that is left to remember with regard to the materialistic aspects are the boots they wore on their feet, clothing, possible photographs, and anything else that they had had which distinguished them from other soldiers in the unit.

Remarque makes room to allow people to think of how the soldiers must feel and how isolated they truly are from humanity with so much violence surrounding them on a daily basis. This drives the plausibility in today’s time to think about the war that has taken place in Iraq and of which life is still being lost as well. In other words it leaves the puzzling question of what do people really know about war if they aren’t actually affected by it the way the soldiers are? They might be understanding of the dawn of a war and what might take place but when it comes down to feeling those struggling blows, those in society really have no true idea of how horrifying the reality of it is.

However, by reading about it they can gain a better understanding as other literary works such as Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” gives pause to the truth of war as well. Tolstoy focus on the ravages of war in society, and not just on the battlefield as “All Quiet on the Western Front” tends to do. There needs to be a clearer understanding of how damaging war can really be to families and not just solely the soldiers themselves. There are times when war has the ability of ripping families apart due to the differences among their various beliefs and individual positions on war, and it’s semblance to what is good and evil in the world.

Even in present day many people view the whole concept of war as being an evil entity that accomplishes nothing but extra violence and killing in the world. This can easily be seen in the past two wars of which numerous countries have been a part of. These recent wars have had devastating affects to economical resources in a world wide context. Not only that but for the past four years the United States in particular has been in a state of denial and isolation due to the affects of the war in the Middle East.

The population is split right down the middle and there is no easy way to repair the vast differences that have taken place. Tolstoy’s novel does well to show how war has not changed over time and still carries with it the same sort of evil intent that it has always had, such as what has transcended into today’s period of life.

Read More