Contrasting the Horrors of War Within Birdsong and Journeys - Essay Example

Comparing and Contrasting the Horrors of War Within Birdsong and Journey’s End With war, comes not only physical carnage, but also psychological and emotional horrors. By examining these two texts, these different types of horrors can be revealed. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the varying horrors of war as they are seen in both Birdsong and Journey’s End. War plays an important role on many levels of humanity in both pieces. The elements and consequences of war are seen in a physical, mental, and emotional sense throughout these works. The impact and specifics of such horrors is the focus of this essay. In the book Journey’s End, there are quite a few references to the extraordinary numbers of individuals killed on the battlefield. Quotes such as “One thousand eight hundred companies in France” are used to give the reader an idea of the vast amount of casualties. In this, the idea of war is made real to the reader through the virtual body count. The reader is continuously reminded of how horrific this particular war was as most of the readers would not have experienced this set of circumstances for themselves. Journey’s End makes the massive death toll seem even more significant by introducing the fact that the Germans were in fact not so different from the allied forces, “I remember once at Wipers we had a man shot down…Next day we blew each other to blazes”. It would seem that no matter what happened, these two sides would inevitably and eventually still slaughter one another. Similarly in Birdsong, there is a great deal of description detailing the amount of casualties. This is comparable to Journey’s End, where it is explained that the losses from both sides of the war are extensive. This quantification of death allows the reader to identify with the difference between the once living and the no longer living. It is an important element of the text to identify with what is happening by recognizing the heaviness of death. An example of this is the death of Levi’s brother towards the end of the novel. Another example in comparison is the death of the men in Ypres in Journey’s End. It is explained in Birdsong that Levi and the rest of the German soldiers are examples of how similar the two sides are. On the inverse, it is an interesting contrast of one side from another, both being products of their leadership. The difference between these two sides can then be distinguished by their leaders, as they must follow the commands that they are given. Another similarity between Birdsong and Journey’s End is the inclusion of men giving their lives or dying for their duty or purpose. Journey’s End illustrates this particular aspect when Osbourne and Raleigh raid the German trenches. In this particular part, these individuals are essentially putting their lives on the line for their country. Similarly in Birdsong, there are attacks from the: “ Stephan saw men trying to emerge from the trench but being smashed by bullets before they could stand.” The intensity of what these men are going through is such a strange contrast to the reasons for which they die. They are individuals within a greater scheme which at times does not seem to include them, but yet they are casualties to it. This is specifically a horrific part of war that is depicted within these particular pieces. In terms of actual violent and graphic imagery, Journey’s End is fairly lacking. It attempts a more passive depiction as opposed to the depiction of Birdsong. This can be explained by the fact that there is a lot of discussion about death but never any specific description of wounds or people suffering. Instead, the focus of the piece is narrowed to preparation and the wait for combat. This is a more psychological approach as the impending threat is almost as fierce as violence itself. An example of this can be seen in the lack of description of the raid itself. There is, however, information about Raleigh’s injuries. There is also some suggestion of specific injury, “S-M shrinks back and throws his hands across his face, as though a human hand could ward off the hot flying pieces”. This description gives the text a certain dark tone to the otherwise “cheery” mood. The likely explanation for the lack of graphic imagery aside from the importance of the psychological wait is that the text was intended originally to be used as a play and therefore severe injuries would be complicated to construct within a live performance. Birdsong, on the other hand, is a fairly graphic piece of literature. Faulks was not afraid to describe in detail the shear horror and carnage of war. This is specific imagery used to capture the direct and physical horror of war itself. Birdsong, on the other hand, contains graphic description which is far more practical than what is depicted by Faulks in Journey’s End. The practicality of Birdsong can be viewed as more of a horror as the reader is left to imagine the things to come. The waiting game depicted in this piece serves to create an ambiance far more restless than even one provided with more graphic description. At least with graphic detail, one knows what is happening or what could happen. The unknown is far more troublesome. Faulks uses violent imagery to captivate the reader. By describing events in detail, the reader can imagine what is taking place with ease. Truly, this allows the reader to engage with the characters and their situations, “His nose dangled and Stephan could see his teeth through the missing cheek”. This quote is an excellent example of violent imagery that is very effective in drawing the reader into the piece and allowing the reader to become apart of what is taking place. The more specific and graphic violent imagery present in Birdsong is likely to have been written the way that things actually took place, due to having been published far after the time of the war. Faulks was fluently educated and informed about the war. In addition, causing a public controversy was not an issue for him, due to the time in which the piece was written. An element that plays a large part in both texts is the loss of battlefield friends as well as the deaths of family members. Journey’s End features many descriptions on this topic, such as “There’s not a man who was here when I came.” In this section of the piece, Stanhope is an example to the reader of just how many men were lost in battle. On the other hand, the only example of a casualty mentioned in Journey’s End is Raleigh who is wounded by shrapnel, “Mr Raleigh’s been ‘it, sir. Bit of shell got ’m in the back”. Consequently, the reader is shown emotion from Stanhope for the first time, indicating how the safety of someone dear can invoke certain unusual feelings in people. Just as Stanhope lost Osbourne, Stephan loses Wier in Birdsong. Unlike Journey’s End, Birdsong is a novel not only based upon people during the war but also on their lifestyles and previous lives before they were sent into battle. It is because of this that Birdsong is far more than a simple war story. The characters are developed by the author throughout the novel. Bonds are formed between these individuals as the novel climaxes. When certain characters die in Birdsong, there is a genuine feeling of remorse. This is not only from the characters but also from the reader as well. For instance, the death of characters such as Jack Firebrace whom the plot has followed a fair way through the piece are killed off quite easily as well as mercilessly. Birdsong possesses graphic description of character relationships in order to emphasise the death of familiar characters. This is done so superbly that it illicits the sympathy of the reader wholly. Journey’s End portrays a very psychological side of war. It illustrates the complete meaninglessness of killing soldiers as they are human beings. This is highlighted many times throughout the text, “General wants us to make a raid to find out who’s coming into the opposite line here”. The troops are far more informed than the higher ranking officers who have never really seen how easily men die after leaving the trench. Higher ranking officers would spend most of their days sitting in a dugout or even further away from the front lines. Complete lack of appreciation for human life is also expressed by the officers: “Still it’ll be awfully nice if the brigadiers pleased”. This quote is an example of such disregard for the many men that had died in battle. This is an illustration of the soldiers achieving their goal regardless of whether that meant dead human beings or not. In Both Birdsong and Journey’s End, there are numerous references to the higher authorities issuing orders without knowing the full extent of the situation. It can be said, however, that the soldiers were obligated to follow the orders of their commanding officers despite how life threatening those orders could prove to be. Again, there is a reference to rescuing men from “no man’s land” after an attack. In the piece Journey’s End, the Germans allowed the Allies retrieve the wounded soldiers. On the other hand, Birdsong paints a picture of soldiers remaining extremely silent when removing the dead bodies of their own. This was because they feared that the German soldiers would shoot them. Overall these two incredible texts both impose a fantastic portrayal of the war, however they both put forward very different views on what are considered to be ‘the horrors of war’. One of the most obvious ways in which Faulks communicates an impression of life at the trenches and their effect on the soldiers is through switching the novel’s focus between different characters. Through the focusing on different individuals Faulks is able to bring to life as well as make vivid to the reader, the different experiences of the trenches. For example, the soldier Jack Firebrace is portrayed as loving and down to earth, “Our boy’s been taken poorly. I was worried about him”. Though written in the third person, we see this section of the novel through Jack’s eyes, this use of narrative and through making us aware of Jack Firebrace’s feelings and views we are able to empathise with him more. Also, as we are aware of the large numbers of men at the Somme by drawing our attention to individuals and their feelings Faulk’s is giving the reader an intimate insight into the mass suffering that was taking place. Faulks also uses detailed descriptions to draw to the reader’s attention to the suffering which the men had to endure. The tunnels in which the men had to work in are portrayed as suffocating and claustrophobic: “ Jack Firebrace lay with several hundred thousand tons of France above his face”. This opening sentence creates an image of darkness and entombment. This oppressive and difficult environment in which the miner had to work is a different world completely to that which is home for the men. The contrast between home and abroad is highlighted when Jack receives a letter from Margaret, his wife: “Jack looked closely at his wife’s careful handwriting and tried to bring the boy’s face to mind. In the murk of the rainy evening with only Tyson’s piece of candle for light it was difficult”. The image we get of life in England and life in the trenches are very far apart. One being so separate from the other, it is difficult to see how the two settings have anything in common. By bringing life in England in to this part of the novel, Faulks is trying to show the enormous contrast between Jack and the other men and what their lives were like before the war as well as during. Faulks illustrates Jack who witnesses his companions being killed in accidents. Faulks, however, does this in a passive manner by mentioning Jack’s friends briefly: “Jack saw part of Turner’s face and hair still attached to his skull rolling to a halt”. This unembellished way of writing has a greater impact on the reader as it makes the event more realistic to the reader. In addition, it capably highlights the attitude which was necessary for the men in the trenches to adopt in order to carry on. With this attitude one can readily accept the impermanence of life in the trenches and a realisation of mortality. The realisation and acceptance of ones own mortality is very pertinent to this piece. Particularly clear in the attitude of the men is this reality of mortality: “when there was a battle or raid they expected to die”. This specific passage brings to light how much death and destruction was witnessed and experienced by the soldiers. It also illustrates how this new life of war becomes truly just a part of life itself to those experiencing it. Despite this coping mechanism which is visibly within Jack and Weir (in the tunnel), the men’s instinctive fear of death is still obvious: “he prayed shamefully; let them die, but please God, let me live”. This desperate plea to God from Jack Firebrace is both a self sacrificial and yet respectful character surfacing. It demonstrates how trench warfare can effectively drive decent human beings to act and think out of character in so many ways. One can observe Jack Firebrace at one of his most vulnerable moments in the piece when he is faced with the prospect of being shot for falling asleep on sentry duty. In this passage a growing tension is created as the reader waits with Jack Firebrace to find out if Stephen will let him live. One of the key, high tension moments of the novel is specifically where the two characters which the reader can empathise with are brought together, one with the others fate in his hands. This can truly serve as a climatic example in which perhaps a turning point for both men is reached. There is such a presence of life and death decision making at this moment. In addition, this is a point in the story in which most people will never find themselves or never be able to relate to. It is through exhaustion that Jack Firebrace came to be brought before Weir and Stephen to possibly be charged. Faulk’s draws attention to the men’s exhaustion in this section of the novel, “Jack was so tired he had passed the stage when sleep was possible.” Faulk’s explains this as it communicates to the reader the strain and intense pressure that the men were placed under at this time. Another coping mechanism used by the men in order to face life in the trenches was the false pretence that everything was better than it seemed. This is demonstrated through Firebrace’s comedy performance. Despite it being he who is telling the jokes, he is also highly aware that what he is actively taking part in is more like a shallow conspiracy theory to hide the harsh reality of what lay ahead: “Jack’s solemn face glistened with the effort of his comedy, and the man’s determined response, whistling and slapping each other in mirth, was a token of their determination and their fear.” This oxymoronic sentence conveys to the reader the self trickery which the men had to use to accept their part of the war. In addition, this made the sad realisation of their own self deception possible. Faulks creates a gripping and also saddening impression of how life was for the men who fought and worked in the trenches. He depicts brilliantly the feeling of hopelessness and despair that the men have to painfully push aside in order to carry on. Faulk’s variety of techniques transports the reader into the minds of the men and creates a vivid image of the imprisoning trenches. It is difficult to read Faulk’s piece without adopting the oppressive feeling of impending doom and hopelessness. From a psychological standpoint, this depiction of war is probably quite accurate. The reader essentially is taken from a relatively normal life situation and progressively taken into an almost surreal setting where most individuals could not imagine being. The characters in this piece are forced to adapt to an impossibly inhumane and treacherous situation. Similarly, in Birdsong, the reader is sympathizing with an equally horrific situation by more passive means. The lack of gore merely serves to allow the imagination of the reader to interpret the endless and horrible possibilities. Read More