A comparison of how the War psychologically changes Barton in Strange Meeting and Prior in Regeneration.

One way in which patients were treated for their psychological traumas was through the method of hypnosis. Hypnosis is a therapeutic method which puts the patient into a state of semiconscious relaxation and can produce various levels of perception and increase memory. We are first introduced to hypnosis in Regeneration when Billy Prior is attempting to convince Dr. Rivers of his specific need for hypnotherapy, 'I've asked for treatment and you've refused to give it to me,' Prior believes it is hypnosis that is needed in order to recall his repressed memories. Prior, suffering from horrific nightmares, claims that he can not remember the latter part of his service in France and he wants Rivers to use hypnosis as he hopes this will help him recall his repressed memories. By recovering these painful memories through hypnosis Barker's male patients find themselves able to embrace emotions rather than repress them. River's is at first reluctant to use hypnosis and describes this method 'as a last resort' as although the symptom of loss of memory may be removed there is a risk that it may 'make the underlying condition worse'. In the novel Barker approaches hypnosis as an alteration of masculine gender roles allowing men to embrace their emotions. The soldiers see emotional repression as equal to their manliness, as well as the lack of physical contact for the purpose of comfort. Without Prior's confrontation of the problem there is no hope to help him and cure his taunting reoccurring nightmares and flashbacks.

In Strange Meeting there is a special bond formed between Hilliard and Barton. As the novel progresses their relationship strengthens and becomes very much so something they use to express emotions through and together they help each other remain relatively sane throughout their experience at the front line. When they first meet Hilliard makes it clear that he does not want to meet Barton and is sure that he will not like him. Despite this Barton makes an effort with Hilliard yet Hilliard still felt that 'there was an openness about Barton that made him fell uneasy'. Before we meet Barton we sense that Hilliard is very unhappy and feels slightly lost with nobody who understands being there to listen. It is for this reason that I believe he comes across rather hostile and constantly comments on how 'nobody knows anything'. By the end of the novel Hilliard has changed his opinion claiming that it is in fact him that 'knew nothing about the war', but in actually fact despite once wanting to know everything he now 'did not want to know' suggesting that it was a better situation to be in to be naive and uninformed as when not in the trenches 'the air smelled sweet and dry' this is due to his relationship with Barton and after losing him, the only person that understood, he feels lost and is able to put things into perspective.

Hilliard and Barton's relationship is portrayed by Hill as something that was rare during the War but its importance is made extremely clear and we realise this when we compare Barton to a character such as Prior, it is their Barton and Hilliard's closeness that allows them to remain reasonably sane throughout their time in the trenches despite the strong feelings of 'hoping against hope'. It is their close proximity that allows both characters to embrace their emotions rather than repressing them as we see frequently through the character Prior in Regeneration.

Using hypnosis releases hidden thoughts and feelings; it is this particular release of thoughts and feelings that is shown when Prior tells Rivers 'I don't think talking helps. It just churns things up and makes them seem more real.' He is not willing to express emotion to Rivers in a fully conscious state, but he is willing to undergo complete physical submission in order to let his true emotions emerge and face his painful memories. Rivers then wonders if this particular consequence outweighs the benefits of hypnosis. After the hypnotherapy, Prior begins to cry, allowing River's to see him consciously expressing emotion. Prior then proceeds to seize Rivers' arms and begins butting him in the chest. Although Rivers says that it felt like an attack, he realises that Prior's aggression is the 'only way that Prior could ask for physical contact'.

Prior's response shows that he is struggling to hold onto his manliness, because he is not able to hug Rivers or allow himself to be held and we realise that he has recognised that he has opened himself up as he almost immediately apologises, 'sorry about that', dismissing the vulnerability he just revealed. This constant battle with being seen as 'a man' and longing for someone to turn to for compassion and comfort is something that hinders the recovery of war neurosis. We can see this as in Strange Meeting Barton and Hilliard, although still suffering, find much comfort in each others company and their conversations as Hilliard expresses when he is in hospital without Barton remarking that 'He knew no one here and had made no friends'. We can see that he is desperate for someone who understands, someone 'you have been close to' as no one else understands which left him thinking 'endlessly about Barton'. Prior feels that the only way to physically comfort himself and maintain his masculinity is to grab Rivers and slightly hurt him. His treatment with hypnosis forces Prior to put aside the masculine gender role, as we see between Hilliard and Barton in Strange Meeting. Hilliard also at first struggled with his 'strange' relationship with Barton, describing it as a feeling he 'could not yet cope with.' This form of complete submission to emotions, achieved through hypnosis, is one particular example of how men altered their masculine gender role in order to be healed.

Regeneration also explores the effects that WWI has on the human condition and more specifically on the condition of the British people. One particular area of exploration is the detrimental presence of class distinctions within the ranks of the British military, 'People at home say there is no class distinction at the front. Ball-ocks.' The army was famous for structuring itself around class and was by many viewed as a recreation of the British class system in miniature This issue of class distinction is addressed specifically through a conversation between Prior and Rivers as Prior declares that when arriving to enrol it was perfectly clear that 'some are more welcome than others'. The characters' discussion reinforces Barker's theme of the injustices of these class distinctions and the harm they produce on the war front. Hill also discusses British people in this time yet rather than specifying with the class system she more specifically looks at the naivety of 'those back home' repeatedly commenting how 'they (those back home) know nothing'. We can assume that Barton is from a wealthy family as his possessions 'a tortoiseshell brush' and his 'religious literature' implies he is well educated coming from a good background. Barton also carries a photo wallet showing that he has a close relationship with family. Hill shows Barton's family's naivety through the letters he receives from them, as they calmly write that they 'hear things are going well, from what we've read in the papers'. The only communication soldiers in the trenches had with loved ones back home was through letters which a lot of Barton's feelings are clear through reading. In one of the last letters Barton writes home he reveals that he has reached such a peak of depression that he 'would rather be shot' than continue. We see in both Prior and Barton that the blindness to what the war is really like by those at home is frustrating and they don't like to be generalised, 'I'm not 'you lot''. They both want to be treated as individuals despite being part of something affecting everyone in Britain. The arrogance of others, 'I suppose its shell-shock', who are quick to jump to conclusions, 'forming their own judgements' irritates the situation. Prior not only finding it difficult to form a relationship with Rivers when Prior meets Sarah, a civilian women he at first feels completely separate from her. Prior describes some attacks on the front line that he has encountered with passion and brutality. When he is with Sarah later in a sexual manner it becomes apparent that Prior associates sex with terror, fear and death.

Barton can remember each man individually and he amazes Hilliard at 'how many of the men he had become to know so well'. Hilliard comments that Barton would make a good general but Barton dismisses this suggestion claiming he is too honest implying the generals need to remain optimistic despite the obvious tragedy. This makes it clear just how much Barton has changed from when we first met him as he began a hopeful, high-spirited soldier and now he fears that he would have a 'demoralising effect' on the other soldiers' attitudes. Prior and River's discuss what Prior will do after the War but Prior's negative attitude 'you can't get anywhere today without being an Oxford of Cambridge graduate' makes it difficult for River's to inject any hope into the future. Both prior and Barton are inspired by older male figures as we learn that Rivers didn't graduate from those universities and Prior admitted that he finds himself 'trying to impress' Rivers. 'Barton was looking with interest at the rough edged scar along his (Hilliard) left thigh' Barton looks up to Hilliard, realising he is experienced and longing to learn from him. His childlike innocence is again reinforced here as he 'peers at it closely as he used to peer at scabs and bruises on arms and knees as a small boy'. By the end of the novel Hilliard has admiration for Barton believing in him, which is ironic as at the beginning of the novel Hilliard dismisses Barton as a naive youngster fooled by propaganda.

Both Barton and Prior share a lot in common both having experiencing trench life and struggling with the brutal truths of war. They both create relationships with people throughout the novels and through Barton and Hilliard's relationship and the relationships Prior shares with Sarah and Rivers we learn a lot about their characters and the difficulties soldiers experienced in talking about their experiences as there were so many people that 'didn't understand'. We see that although the physical scars can be healed quickly it is the emotional scars that do the most injury and ironically are the hardest to heal. Barker and Hill both portray this message about the war using a fragmented discontinuous style, which reflects the disjointed thought process of many of the soldiers. From both novels we are shown just how innocent those back at home are and how they really don't understand the depth of the matter.