Although Sassoon holds strong beliefs, he believes that homosexuals should be treated with more tolerance, but he sees the necessity of remaining silent about his own sexuality. He is a caring and fatherly figure to his troops whom he steers toward a better use of his poetic gifts. Above all, Sassoon, as portrayed in Regeneration as a symbolic person, acts as a teacher, guiding those with whom he speaks toward a better knowledge of himself and of society. An example would be when Wilfred Owen entered the room and asked Siegfried Sassoon to sign his books, and while he was looking at Sassoon he mentioned, ‘Everything about Sassoon intimidated him. His status as a published poet, his height, his good looks, the clipped aristocratic voice, sometimes quick, sometimes halting’. This just goes to show that Owen feels nervous and shy when approaching Sassoon because he is a fan of Sassoon, and it goes to show how others portray him, like a symbolic person.
However, Billy Prior as a soldier has had difficulties in life both at war and at home, Prior is a conflicted and complicated character. From what we know, Prior is entirely fictional, which frees Barker from any restrictions linked to Prior's beliefs, past, or future. We receive a glimpse of Prior's past when his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Prior, come to visit Craig Lockhart. Prior's conflicted nature is not surprising, considering that his parents come from such differing views with regard to their son's well being. For example, Mr. Prior’s views towards his son are very rigid. This is because Mr. Prior desired his son to be more courage’s and less sensitive as well, this maybe because he knows that when Prior was young he could not stand up for himself when bullied, and when he joined the army he was not happy about it and wanted him to remain within his own class. “I believe he volunteered, didn’t he? The first week of war.’ Said Rivers. “He did. Against my advice, not that that’s ever counted for much” said Mr. Prior. “You didn’t want him to go?” said Rivers. “No, I did not.” Said Mr. Prior. This just shows that quite directly Mr. prior answered that Prior went against his will and participated in the war. Therefore when Prior was sent to Craig Lockhart, Mr. Prior said he would have had more sympathy for his son if a bullet had hit him. However when Mrs. Prior came her views were different from Mr. Priors. She had much sympathy for her son. She believed that Billy blamed her for trying to better him and separate him from the "common people." Mr. Prior resents his son's education, and Mrs. Prior senses competition between them. Such emotional conflict clearly causes Prior stress; he develops a physical asthmatic reaction to their visit.
However, Billy Prior’s belief system is complicated: He believes he has a duty to serve, but his ambitions prevent this duty as a reason for him to return to the war. Prior wants to prove to him that he is a good soldier, a man who will not break down under pressure—a masculine figure. Opposing this desire, however, is the very real fear that he will be killed in the war. Prior is hesitant to admit this fear, and he cries when he is told he will not be returning to the war. He is in many ways a self-absorbed character; he cares first and foremost about his own recovery and his own experiences.
Lastly this just goes to tell us that Prior in Regeneration is portrayed, as a realistic character even due it’s a fictional. It also goes to show that Barker wanted to express Prior’s character so that the impact upon the readers is realistic and sympathetic.
In my conclusion I would like to say that Pat Barker presented Sassoon as a symbolic character because everyone look unto Sassoon as his or her friend because of his nature. Another reason would be that even though Sassoon is sane he does blend in with the other patients (even though he finds it complicated) and express their feelings and emotions and sympathies with them. Above all, Sassoon acts as a teacher guiding those with whom he speaks toward a better knowledge of himself and of society. Sassoon refers Rivers as a “fatherly figure” due to the importance he gives to his patients.
However, Billy prior is presented in Regeneration as a realistic character because even though he is fictional, she wanted to emphasize the point on how men those days felt emasculated and psychologically restrained from the war.
by
arsal16javed (student)
