Tim O'Brien's 'The Things They Carried' and Pat Barker's 'Regeneration'. Compare and contrast the ways in which both authors present the futility of war in their text

'If war is hell, what do we call hopelessness?[i]' Compare and contrast the ways in which both authors present the futility of war in their text. In his collection of short stories, 'The things they carried' Tim O'Brien attempts to explore the 'bloody eccentricity[ii]' of Vietnam- a war dominated by uncertainties and unlike any war which had gone before. The stories connect a group of fictional soldiers called the alpha company in their journey through the war. The Vietnam War divided America for ten years and lead to a confusing political and social split within the country. A generation was shaped in a country where business men 'could not agree on even the most fundamental matters of public policy[iii]'. When America lost the war in 1975 the blow was immense to the nation and caused an intense backlash against the patriotism and ideological complacency which had characterised their national 'superpower' identity. Vietnam became the forgotten war as 'Evil has no place... in our (American) national mythology.[iv]' In the other text, Pat Barker's 'Regeneration' the backdrop is another iconic war, the First World War. The First World War also had a remarkable effect on society and how war was viewed for a long time after its aftermath. The total destruction caused by the technological advances in warfare had never before been seen and there effects were devastating to a

  • Word count: 3720
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Discuss the theme of ‘Human Dignity’ in Willis Hall’s ‘The Long and the Short and the Tall’.

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

  • Word count: 3605
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Write a comparison in the ways in which warfare is presented in the novel Strange Meeting and the play Journeys end

Write a comparison in the ways in which war-fare is presented in the novel Strange Meeting and the play Journey's end: Ware- fare is the issue of conflict between not only the opposite forces but between the comrades. It is apparent that this is a central theme in both texts 'Strange Meeting' by Susan Hill and in the drama 'Journey's End' by C.R. Sherriff. The subject-matter of war-fare is a broad topic, in which both texts cover a wide range of issues that were prevalent during the war. In particular there will be a thorough examination of both texts, in their presentation, of war-fare and its effects. As they both present war-fare by dealing with the issues of the relationships of men, as well as the relationships with their families at the home- front, an issue which is linked with the soldier's detachment of their homes. In addition I will explore the presentation of war-fare initiating fear, the inevitability of death and the futility of war-fare which is a key point, which both texts try to emphasise through language and action. The subject matter of war-fare is portrays a strong sense of detachment of soldiers from their home. This is clearly demonstrated through the language and can be seen particularly, in the initial pages of Strange Meeting, through protagonist, John Hilliard, who due to his determination to stay awake, in his bedroom, because 'He was afraid to

  • Word count: 3015
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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No war is identical to another but having read Tim OBriens On the Rainy River and The Man I Killed; Gerrard Conlons In the Name of the Father and Cormiers novel After the First Death; three ideas or concepts seem given in any war.

. “Analyse significant connections across texts, supported by evidence” 2. 3. Introduction 4. No war is identical to another but having read Tim O’Brien’s “On the Rainy River” and “The Man I Killed”; Gerrard Conlon’s “In the Name of the Father” and Cormier’s novel “After the First Death”; three ideas or concepts seem given in any war. The first, and most obvious, is that war has a destructive effect on those involved, and secondly that wars despite being usually fought for freedoms, ironically result in loss of choice (freedom) for some. The third and most interesting idea is that a fine line separates the “good” patriot from the “evil” fanatic and that at times the line is unknowingly crossed. 5. 6. Impact of war on a young man 7. War always seems to have a huge destructive effect on young men. In the short stories “On the Rainy River” and “The Man I Killed”, Tim O’Brien becomes mentally and emotionally shattered and ruined from the effects of war. In “On the Rainy River” Tim O’Brien receives a draft notice for the Vietnamese war. As soon as it arrives Tim feels mixed emotions, whether he should succumb to societies pressures or back his own morals and not fight for a war he doesn’t believe in. He even states it’s a war he “hated” and felt “blood was being shed for uncertain reasons”. This tormented him

  • Word count: 2681
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Air of pessimism present in Waiting for Godot and The Wasteland

Compare and contrast the way writers convey an air of pessimism in the openings of the texts - [The Wasteland and Waiting for Godot]. The two texts, 'The Waste Land' and 'Waiting for Godot' both convey an air of pessimism within their openings due to the modernist and existentialist views of both the writers. 'The Waste Land' - Eliot's vision of a contemporary predicament, one of natural erotic and spiritual aridity which seems to transcend the barriers of historical time, or natural and geographical boundaries does no depict just the sickness of the land itself; on the contrary it is a metaphor for something more powerful and complex - we are dealing with the human condition - which Eliot reveals lacks focus and has ironically dissolved into 'fragments' resulting in a 'heap of broken images'. T.S. Eliot was a modernist poet, who questioned contemporary literary values of life after the First World War. Modernism thrived in the periods between the two World Wars as it was a time of great difficulty since the conflict created many pessimistic beliefs amongst the civilians. There was not much optimism as to improvement of mankind and this resulted in the disintegration and alienation of the modern self through crisis. Similarly, the poem purports to open up cracks in culture, to show the underlying fault lines and its implications are also to unsettle the reader. Samuel

  • Word count: 2649
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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The Horrors of World War I are unimaginable Compare and contrast the ways in which Pat Barker and R.C Sheriff present the horrors of the first World War

"The Horrors of World War I are unimaginable" Compare and contrast the ways in which Pat Barker and R.C Sheriff present the horrors of the first World War "Regeneration" was written by Pat Barker, a university-trained historian and this is confirmed by the presence of very reliable sources in the "Author's Notes", at the end of the novel. It was written in the 1990's which has enabled her to gather a lot of information about the war. Pat's grandfather had been bayoneted during the war, and Pat would see his scars when he went to the sink to wash and thus would have gathered a personal account of some horrors. His experiences in the war made influenced Barker's understanding of the period, making the effect of the war more immediate and personal. She attributes her immediate inspiration for "Regeneration" to her husband, a neurologist, who was familiar with Dr. Rivers's experiments on nerve "Regeneration" in the early twentieth century, yet she chooses not to use the correct technicality when explaining the variety of mental states, so that her readers do not divert the focus from the painful experiences of both a patient and their therapist. However, "Journey's End" was written by R.C Sheriff who had first-hand experience in the war. His play is based upon real life experiences, mirroring the way he and his comrades lived and fought; it relives some of its horrors. Due to the

  • Word count: 2431
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Compare ways in which the Characters of Journeys End by R.C. Sherriff and Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks deal with the horrors of Trench Warfare.

Compare ways in which the Characters of Journey's End by R.C. Sherriff and Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks deal with the horrors of Trench Warfare. By Beatrice Meecham The First World War is known to be one of the worst, if not the worst war in military history. The strategies used were often ineffective and repetitive, meaning a lack of movement and years of stalemate on the western front. Soldiers had to live in conditions which were squalid and foul, they had to deal with diseases such as trench foot and millions of rats and lice infestations. These general images of soldiers living in these fetid conditions has become widely known and linked with the huge suffering caused by the First World War. The use of literature can enable us to gain a picture of what trench warfare was really like. 'Journey's End' a play written by R.C. Sherriff in 1928 based on his own life experiences gives a realistic image of life as a soldier in the trenches. However, the novel 'Birdsong' by Sebastian Faulks which was not written till 2005 gives a version of what Faulks believed trench warfare to be like; it is a fictional idea based on knowledge and understanding of World War One. Also the authors chose different formats with one being a novel the other a play, thus giving them contrasting ways of conveying soldiers' experiences of war. A play deals with the actions and reactions of characters

  • Word count: 2428
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Compare the presentation of war in the two poems 'Charge of the light Brigade' by Lord A Tennyson and 'Dolce Et Decorum Est' by Wilfred Owen.

'The Charge of the Light Brigade' was written during the Crimean war in 1854 after Lord Alfred Tennyson (the Poet) had read a news report. 'Dulce et Decorum est' was written in 1916 during the First World War. The two poets allow us to relive the experience of war from two different periods in time. I aim to explore the change in the portrayal of war before and during the twentieth century, and also the structures and devices poets use to convey their views persuasively, and justify them. These two poems describe war, and scenes from war, with varying levels of intensity and reality and also from different viewpoints. Tennyson's 'Charge of the Light Brigade' was written during the Crimean war. It is about a military blunder, where six hundred men were sent to charge straight into gunfire. He did not witness any fighting. 'Dulce et Decorum est' was written during the First World War. Wilfred Owen was a soldier in the First World War, and he writes from first hand experience. He spent months in disgusting conditions in the trenches near the front line, as shown by the way the soldiers were 'coughing like hags'. He would have seen many people die in agony and, having experienced one of the most destructive wars in history, he has a very unfavourable view of war. He was involved in the First World War, so he knows the realities of warfare. I can see that his poem is aimed at the

  • Word count: 2368
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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How does the presence of the Japanese soldier threaten the unity of Sergeant Mitchem's men?

English Coursework Essay - How does the presence of the Japanese soldier threaten the unity of Sergeant Mitchem's men? The play is set in the Malayan Jungle during the Japanese advance on Singapore in 1942. Seven British soldiers have different power due to the ranking hierarchy and they have different attitudes to one another. Sergeant Mitchem is the leader of the soldiers. He is a responsible and good leader which is evident due to him stopping many quarrels among his men and making decisions. For example, when Corporal Johnston and Private Bamforth are having an argument, Mitchem stops the argument by saying 'Right. Pack it in. Both of you'. Next we have Corporal Johnstone, who is second in power to Sergeant Mitchem. It is obvious that Johnstone does not have the respect that Mitchem has. This is because Bamforth has many arguments with him and does not follow his orders efficiently. One example of a quarrel between the two is when Johnstone tells Bamforth to 'Get your pack on!' Bamforth then responds saying 'you going to inspect us, corp.?' The next highest in the hierarchy is L/Corporal Macleish. He is a Scotsman and has regular arguments with Bamforth. In one argument Bamforth called Macleish a 'Scotch Haggis'. Macleish responds telling Bamforth to 'Watch your mouth'. However this only encourages Bamforth to continue by saying 'Aw, come off it, son. Where I come from

  • Word count: 2259
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Henry V compared to the War Poets. Throughout 'Henry V' there are very strong references to God, sin and salvation. War is viewed as a moral and spiritual means of upholding the status quo.

There are many different attitudes to war: pacifists find it morally outrageous and unnecessary, others a necessity to protect and defend their own country and that of others. During the life of Shakespeare the security of the King on his throne was unstable. Defending the throne and social stability through war was imperative. This is reflected thematically in 'Henry V', with Shakespeare promoting the King as a divinely appointed ruler and encouraging acceptance of this. Throughout 'Henry V' there are very strong references to God, sin and salvation. War is viewed as a moral and spiritual means of upholding the status quo. With this in mind, 'Henry V' opens with the mature king, 'The mirror of all Christian kings', seeking justification for declaring war on France, with Henry asking the Archbishop if God is happy with his claim to the French throne. 'May I with right and conscience make this claim?' Henry, asking the Archbishop for support as King of England, demonstrates his desire to fight in the name of God, confirming that God's appointed monarch is bound by spiritual laws. Later on in the play we learn of Henry's other justification for war: honour. He says he is not interested in gold - he only wants honour and glory for his country. 'But if it be a sin to covet honour, then I am the most offending soul alive.' Henry will not proceed with war unless his decision to

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  • Word count: 2188
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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