Discuss the theme of ‘Human Dignity’ in Willis Hall’s ‘The Long and the Short and the Tall’.

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Discuss the theme of ‘Human Dignity’ in Willis Hall’s ‘The Long and the Short and the Tall’.

Willis Hall, author of ‘The Long and the Short and the Tall’ has personally expressed his belief that the primary theme in his play is the idea of human dignity. In this essay we shall attempt to analyse the reasons behind and arguments against this belief, and to explore other themes discussed in the play.

We shall begin by exploring Willis Hall’s proposed theme of human dignity. Given that the author of the play expressed this belief himself, it would be arrogant to say that this interpretation is wrong. However, we shall look at how well this theme is conferred within the play. First, however, we must look exactly at what the author means by the phrase ‘human dignity’. My original view of the phrase was that it was to refer to trying to maintain those external barriers that most humans build up to present a respectable facade to other people, while also dealing with the horrors of war. The view taken in the 1965 Hereford plays edition of the book is slightly different. Here, it talks of how the book was referring to the maintenance not of emotional barriers, but of morals and ethics, while also facing war.

Both these themes make sense in terms of the play, and those also in terms of the phrase, human dignity. It is therefore possible that perhaps the author was referring to both in his interpretation of the play. I would further argue, even, though perhaps those themes are in fact one and the same; if you think of the mind like an onion, perhaps morals and ethics are simply deeper layers, built up consciously and deeply, but layers that can be stripped away nonetheless. We shall therefore use this as our interpretation of the phrase human dignity, and will proceeded to look at how the theme is explored in the text.

It is quite clear that the main theme of the play resolves round the prisoner, and how the other characters react to him. He is, if anything, the catalyst for exploration of the theme of human dignity. He is the enemy on one side, and a human being on the other. The main part of the play resolves in how the characters interpret the balance between the two sides. Due to this, it is necessary that we take a brief detour to look at all of the characters.

Each of the characters is a specific personification of the thing he is supposed to represent. This provides a number of different ways to view the situation with the prisoner, and also any other situations in the play. We shall proceed to look at each of the characters individually, including the aspect of themselves they're personifying.

Bamforth is perhaps the main character in the play. He comes from London, and is a definite cockney. Bamforth is quite unusual in respect and attitudes of the war. He is extremely sarcastic about it, and takes it is a big joke, as he does most things. This may be reflective of his childhood: we get the impression that it was quite hard - he talks about gangs in London, and how it is a tough life where he comes from.

Mitchem is probably the next most important character. The leader of the patrol, he is an experienced soldier and a good leader. He is shown more of a personification of his role as a commander than anything else. His views are those of a ranking soldier: he does not like what he does, but it is what must be done.

Johnstone is second in charge of the patrol, and harbours a deep hatred of the enemy. We do not know why he hates them: whether there is a reason for it, or if he is simply the kind of person who enjoys war and killing. The way he is showed in the play, we would not be surprised if he was the latter. Having none of Mitchem's skill as a leader, he has none of the men under his command's respect, and relies on brute force and pulling rank to command them.

Evans, unsurprisingly hailing from Wales, is possibly the most simple of the group. This is not meant as a view of his mental capacity, but of his outlook on life. He is principally concerned with things from his local community – his mum regularly sends him letters from his village, along with a woman’s magazine. He is obviously unaware of how the other men in the patrol make fun of him because of this, and even when they do, he simply seems confused.

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We get the impression throughout the play that Evans looks up to Bamforth. This is, possibly, unsurprising. Evans is simple minded: he can only really concern himself with everyday concepts, and this is all he really wants to. Bamforth, on the other hand, is highly intelligent. He is a ‘Barrack Room Lawyer’, he understands politics and law, and uses them to his advantage. He is almost an older brother to Evans- someone who is to be admired because they do things you couldn’t even think of.

MacLeish is third in command of the group. Recently promoted to the ...

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