Examine closely the role of Raleigh

Authors Avatar

Examine closely the role of Raleigh

Throughout the play, ‘Journey’s End’, R.C. Sherriff provides a range of characters portraying different personalities and backgrounds. One of these characters is a boy called Raleigh. The dramatic intention of this character is to symbolise the youth and naivety of the many young officers who died during trench warfare. In addition he is used as a dramatic tool to reveal emotions and create tension.

The clearest and more obvious role of Raleigh is to symbolise youth. Even before Raleigh arrives at the front line the officer, Hardy, is willing to welcome a young officer, ‘…a youngster straight from school. They’re the kind that do best.’ In this phrase, R.C. Sherriff is implying that new young officers are eager, with few responsibilities and do not know much at all about the war. Raleigh is a symbol for the many young men who were brainwashed in schools with propaganda in order to try to encourage them to join the army. As the play advances there are clear signs of these traits in Raleigh. For example when he arrives in the trenches, he is offered some whisky from Osborne, ‘Will you have a drink?’ but Raleigh replies, ‘Er- well’. From this reply it is obvious that Raleigh has never drunken whisky due to his uncertainty and unclear response. To many of the older men in the trenches it was a part of everyday life, as if they were drinking water, and this incident in turn exaggerates Raleigh’s inexperience and youthful mind. Then, just to emphasise his youth, Raleigh says, ‘… I only left school at the end of last summer term’.

Join now!

Furthermore, throughout the play there are clear signs of Raleigh’s symbolic naïve role as well as his dramatic role in the play. In the early scenes with Osborne, as the full extent of Raleigh’s naivety is revealed, we tremble to think what will happen when Raleigh comes face to face with the hard, nerve-shattered Stanhope. The conversations with Osborne are the calm before the storm when the young Raleigh meets Stanhope. For example, Raleigh tells Osborne about the ironic event of how he became stationed here. Firstly Raleigh tells Osborne about how he knows Stanhope. However Raleigh is unaware ...

This is a preview of the whole essay