How does Sherriff explore the idea of dependency in the play, journey's end?
How does Sherriff explore the idea of dependency in the play? The play is set during the end of the First World War in 1918. It explores the feelings of the British military personnel involved and the capture of a German prisoner provides an opportunity to explore the fact that they were all just human beings. The play was written 10 years after the 1st WW which gave the writer the opportunity to understand the effect of the war on the men involved and their families. His first audience would probably have had first hand experience of the war, or knew someone affected by it. The writer presents the emotions of the soldiers: their fears, humour, loyalty, bravery, anticipation of the unknown, and the audience would probably have identified with those feelings. Lives in the trenches meant they were dependent on each other, and on their commanding officers to maintain discipline and had to follow orders at all times. Sheriff uses the subject of dependency on alcohol to show how men needed something to help them over come their fears. In a conversation with his friend Osbourne, Stanhope admits that, "if I went up those steps without being doped with whisky I would go mad with fright". His dependency is discussed openly by Hardy and Osbourne so the audience know what is to come. Hardy asks, "How is the dear boy, drinking like a fish as usual?" Osbourne, obviously sympathetic to
How Does Sherriff Create a Sense of Pathos in Act Three Scene Three of the Play
How Does Sherriff Create a Sense of Pathos in Act Three Scene Three of the Play? Act Three Scene Three in the play is ultimately the point in which all of the dramatic tension comes to a tragic climax. This sense of pathos is achieved by a number of different factors. The first is that the scene begins with an emotive description of the atmosphere, describing the 'intense darkness of the dugout is softened by the glow of the Very lights' and the 'distant mutter of the guns'. There is also a frequent reference to the cold, which helps to reflect the bitterness of war. The men in the dugout are clearly trying to keep things normal in order to try and suppress their fears about the approaching German attack, for example Trotter sings to himself and Mason fusses about tea and drinks. However it is also clear that there is an underlying tension in the unnerving stillness of the atmosphere at this moment in the play. The men coping with their fears through trivial matters are contrasted with Hibbert, whose fears are not so well concealed. It is at this point that Stanhope's caring personality and good leadership skills are visible, when he gets water for Hibbert and sends Mason up to keep him company. The more we empathise with Stanhope, the greater the tragedy when he is killed. We also see that the attack is steadily building as the noises of the shells and minenwerfers
Language used in "Journey's End"
Language used in "Journey's End" Journey's End was R.C. Sherriff's only major theatrical production and had had relatively little experience of playwriting before. However, the language in the play does not show any evidence of this. Being set in the trenches in the Great War, and being with a serious, ingrained message, the play needed to be presented to the audience powerfully and effectively. The language needed to show the characters and their language as they would have been had they had actually been in the trenches at the time and make sure that they were as realistic as possible. Sherriff has aimed to relate the characters' speech directly to their character but also to create a powerful picture in the minds of the audience. One of his main aims in the play was to present the public with a play to show the real attitudes during the war. Each character has different dialogue to each other to typify their characters and to distinguish them apart. The characters also have different styles of language that provides various elements to the play. Although the play is of a deeply profound nature, the play has vital outlets of comic relief which is displayed through the characters in the play. The stage notes throughout the play show the simple, atmospheric style the Sherriff uses in describing the aspects of the play. The very start of the play which describes the set, and
Winding course of a Corkscrew, is used by Dashiell Hammett as the title of her
Corkscrew Commentary "One sandy street following the crooked edge of the Tirabuzon Cañon, from which, by translation, the town took its name." The repeatedly spirally and winding course of a Corkscrew, is used by Dashiell Hammett as the title of her short story and the name of her dry town found in the Arizona desert. The winding motion of a corkscrew suggests a repeated course of action or may represent society in which it corrupts in a spiralling motion. Hammett uses this to suggest that all rule of law and authority has broken down in this town, and will happen again just as the sallow man says "you'll be thirsty and dirty all over again." The opening of the short story finds a man being faced to place authority back in a small forgotten American town, which is reluctant to change and coldly welcomes him to the town. The corruption of the town is the underlying theme hidden behind the dialogue, setting and characters of Corkscrew. The opposite characteristics of the authoritative sheriff and the locals of the town, depicts the division and separation between the lifestyles and standards of authority and the locals. The disappointed tone created by the persona reveals the aridity of the town in which he does not wish to be in, and how authority ceases to exist. The persona makes obvious that he does not want to be in the desolate town of Corkscrew, "...and I would all
Consider How Sherriff uses structure & language in the play
Consider How Sherriff uses structure & language of the play "Journey's End" to unfold the character of Stanhope. Journeys End shows the negative way and terrible conditions war affects Stanhope and his troops. Although Stanhope is a dedicated officer he is also enigmatic. The structure and language are used in this play to show the way in which war affects soldiers and the changes Stanhope goes through during the war. Life in the 1900's was happy care free and relaxed. People went about their business without a care in the world, towns were full of life. Then, when the war started, shock hit home. All the men disappeared, towns, villages & cities were left, deserted. Rationing began and people soon found war was not pleasant or a game, contrary to what was thought beforehand. The theatre was a place people went for entertainment. Therefore people were not expecting the harsh images portrayed in the play Journey's end. In this play language is used to emphasize the class system. The lower class soldiers use slang where as the upper class soldiers use proper, posh English. An example of the lower class slang is said by Trotter: "Look 'ere skipper, it's nearly eight now, couldn' we make 'alf-past?" As Stanhope doesn't talk like this it emphasizes his status e.g. he is more important than trotter because he is a higher class to trotter. Sheriff uses the way in which
Original Writing - A Journey I Remember
Original Writing - A Journey I Remember I had wanted that journey to go on forever. Well, at the beginning anyway. We had left Belgium in the morning, all of us reluctant to arrive at our Final Destination, but the day progressed. The atmosphere in the car became tense, and the distance on the map didn't seem to change with the passing hours. The inhabitants of the car are completely oblivious to the outside world. They think only of their petty arguments and minor discomforts. The landscape changes with the mood, as they begin to descend into the routine that they would take up every hour or so from now on. The tar on the road sizzles; mirages distort vision and reflect light into a glazed eye. They only think of themselves. "It's my turn on the Game Boy." "No, it's mine." "Just give it to Hattie. She's youngest." "Where are we on the map now?" "I WANT IT NOW!" "I don't know, look for yourself. Now give Hattie the game boy Rob." "Can't you all just be quiet? I'm trying to read." "Don't you speak to me like that young lady!" That was the reaction I got from both of my parents as I asked them to keep the noise down. We hadn't moved from this spot for 2 hours. And it was Rob's turn on the Game Boy. And Hattie only wanted to play it to get on Rob's nerves. I could have told them that, but I would have just gotten the same unreasonable reaction, that because I was 15, I
How does 'Regeneration' and 'Journey's End' explore the horrors of war?
How does 'Regeneration' and 'Journey's End' explore the horrors of war? Both texts challenge assumptions about the war. In both, setting is integral to achieving an insight into the horrors of war. Rivers role as a military doctor in regeneration is a useful tool, which enables the reader to obtain a deeper understanding of these horrors. In Journey's End this insight is achieved through an examination of men in a trench at the front line. In this essay I will discuss and explore the ways both authors convey the horrors of war. These are conveyed by the use of characters that evoke flashbacks and the mental state of characters. Regeneration and Journey's End explore the horrors in different ways and similar ways: Regeneration shows how soldiers suffered horrors once they has been at the front line; whereas Journey's End shows the effect and horrors during the war. Regeneration is a story told via flashbacks, it is written mainly in third person chronological narrative this allows Barker to show us the soldier's stories from a number of perspectives. Journey's End is a story told from the front line by the soldiers. The irony of Journey's End is the way it is set at the front line but we are faced with the mundane and passive elements of battle. The soldiers in Journey's End talk about every topic but the war. Whereas in Regeneration soldiers are encouraged to work through
Raleigh’s Diary.
Raleigh's Diary Well, I'm finally here I arrived two days ago, on Monday evening, Luckily my request worked an my uncle sent me to Dennis's company but I don't think anyone has twigged how I got here. They all think it's a coincidence! These trenches aren't like I thought they would be, I thought guns would be blazing all the time, it's so quiet up here, every now and then you hear some rifle fire, a bit like the range a Bisley. There is some sort of rumble coming from up North, Osborne told me it was up at Wipsers way; apparently the guns never stop up there! Not like down here in these trenches it's uncannily quiet, it's nothing like I imagined when I was at school. It's amazing to think that the Germans are only about 60 yards from our position, that about the breadth of a rugger field! I came in to our position by trench and what a strange trench it was, it began in a ruined village, then we went down into a cellar of a house and right under the house, passed this huge ruined factory, and into a vast plain along which the trench went along turning and twisting. Even from this great distance I could see the Very lights. What surprised me was the number of them hundreds went over when I was watching. We have this cook called Mason, he's just a private but he looks after us, he once got really worried when he got us a tin of apricots instead of pineapple chunks! The
R.C Sheriff, 'Journey's End'
Journey's End R.C Sheriff wrote Journey's end in 1928. The play was written 10 years after the war had finished to let people's emotions feelings and emotions about the war settle down. The play is set near the end of the war, in 1918, along the western front in France. Sheriff set the whole play in one setting so it is easier to stage, it personalizes it, and it creates a sense of entrapment. The whole play is set in the trenches, which are very confined, damp and cold. They were most likely inhabited by rats and the dugouts most likely smelled. The final scene is set in the dugout, at dawn just before a German attack is expected. At he beginning of the scene "There is no sound except the distant mutter of the guns." But later on in the scene "There comes the faint whistle and thud of falling shells." Towards the end pf the scene the noise from the shells being dropped intensifies and continues like this until the end of the play. R.C Sheriff uses comedy in the play to lighten the mood and to add relief from the depression of war. The party scene was a scene where everyone forgot about the war and started to lighten up. At the beginning of this scene the audience most likely expects the mood to be unsettled and things to be tense between the characters, this is because of the arguments that happened between the characters the night before. "Towards dawn, the
In Journey's End Which Character Do You Feel Sympathetic Towards and Why
In Journey's End Which Character Do You Feel Sympathetic Towards and Why? We feel sympathy for many of the characters but the one I feel most sympathetic towards is Raleigh. We feel sympathy for Raleigh when he first comes across Stanhope. As Stanhope enters the dug out and sits down for a drink, he is told of a new officer arriving. He soon greets the unknown officer and discovers it is his old friend Raleigh. Stanhope "stares at Raleigh as though dazed." Sympathy is felt especially Raleigh "half raises his hand, then lets it drop to his side." We understand that Raleigh wanted to be welcomed by Stanhope, but instead Raleigh does not receive the welcome that he wanted. By letting his hand drop, it lets us know Raleigh is feeling disappointment. We feel great sympathy for Raleigh because he seems lost and unaware of what is going on. Another time when we sympathise with Raleigh is when he wants to send a letter home. Stanhope is paranoid that Raleigh has written bad things about him in his letter to Madge, therefore Stanhope is determined to censor Raleigh's letter. After Raleigh refuses politely to give his letter to the persistent Stanhope, he is faced by Stanhope orders, "give me that letter" this lets us understand that Stanhope is willing to do anything to get that letter, and we also understand that Raleigh will be forced to give up his fight. He cries "But - Dennis