Compare and contrast the different writers' presentations in at least two of the extracts.

The Majors in “Base Details” are accounted as close to animals in the sense of their drinking habits.  Sassoon has them “guzzling and gulping” whilst the soldiers are “stone dead”.  The use of alliteration emphasizes the savageness of the men.  The actions of Stanhope and the Colonel in “Journey’s End” are similar to those of the Majors yet they are not described in a negative fashion and they do not live in the “best hotel” instead they sit on boxes and drink.  It is important to note that it is impossible for Sheriff to criticize the behavior of his characters because he has written in it in the presentation of a play.  Yet their actions and their speech are not of a barbaric nature.  

In “Journey’s End” the Colonel is incredibly sure of looking after his own class, and mentions the forthcoming delivery of fish immediately after discussing “the raid”.  There is a less severe yet a slight similarity between this and the “scarlet Majors at the Base”.  By using this word to describe the officers, Sassoon suggests that they are red from drinking and shouting; henceforth making them appear even more unattractive.  Obviously “Base Details” is all about the hypocritical and tyrannical leaders who pretend that they have “lost heavily” in the war when all they care about is themselves.  This is clearly not the case with Stanhope who genuinely knows his officers and cares about them.  He pauses when the raid is mentioned making it obvious that he dislikes the idea.  Sassoon presents incredibly two dimensional characters that lack emotion or any human qualities because of his experiences in the army and that this poem is straightforward criticism of the men he hated.  

There is a great amount of show in the Majors “reading the Roll of Honour”, this is exaggerated by the use of alliteration which could even make it sound more like a rolled r sound.  The faces of the mean are “puffy and petulant”, Sassoon used alliteration here to show his hatred as the words almost have to be spat out.  There is a rhyming pattern on alternate lines in the poem and it is finished with a rhyming couplet to emphasize the poignancy of the men “toddling” home to their “beds” whilst their soldiers lie “dead”.  Also the rhyming manages to link the two actions, making a stronger comparison.  

        There are not really any stage directions in the dialogue between Stanhope and the Colonel which shows how there is really nothing for them to be doing, other than talking and drinking.  Their speech is direct and straight to the point.  Like in “Base Details” no imagery is used because they are both either blunt conversations or a blunt description.  

The two sections are incredibly different, because of the different origins they come from.  Having been an officer in the army, Sheriff is not likely to criticize the type of people he worked amongst.  However both writers seem to think there is a certain degree of hypocritical behavior surrounding the officers and their food and drink.  Sassoon made a distant judgment on officers yet letting into account this section AND the rest of “Journey’s End” the men with power in the army that Sheriff presents the audience are neither cold nor heartless.