In addition to this, both the picture based, and text representation represent and illustrate the turmoil, obliteration and desolation caused by the German bombs during was ‘devastated’ As well as this, we are able to observe countless buildings and structures being destroyed in the background. Correspondingly, representation 2 states that civilians “would find that their homes had been destroyed”. As noted in both representations, civilians were required to go through adversity and suffering since their homes were destroyed, leaving many of them homeless.
Finally, both sources accentuate the idea that there was a sense of harmony and unity amongst civilians during the Second World War. For example, representation 1 indicates that “the population came together to fight a common foe” we can connote that this form of ‘togetherness’ and ‘unity’ was brought on by the blitz. Equally, representation 2 displays wardens and a civilian joining forces and working together to absolve the mass destruction laid out as a result of the bombs. Both representation 1 and 2 epitomize how the Blitz, although tragic, managed to unite nationals from all classes, genders and ages in their fight to win the war and beat the Germans.
Although there are numerous similarities between the two representations, there are some apparent differences that can be noted. Firstly, representation 1 indicates that the supposed high state of morale was essentially just “mythologized” and an “illusion”. It goes on to explaining how there was “low morale” amid the citizens as they were being “let down by the government” This completely disagrees with the first representation. Source 1, clearly admires the Second World War. We can imply that there was a high state of morale through the image of Arnold Tabbs looking out into the distance with a determined face (even though he is crying). Though he is only a boy who has lost his closest family members, “Arnold Tabbs battles on”. This undoubtedly denotes his high morale, which is the complete opposite to the first representation.
Additionally, representation 1 suggests that life in Britain radically changed for all civilians and nationals. For instance, it describes the second world war having the effect of “shattering a normal life” From the first source, we get the impression that people were so overwhelmed and devastated by the Blitz that they could no longer carry on with the ‘norms’ of life. The source even mentions that the British faced “sleepless nights”, which further supports this idea of civilians feeling worried, overwhelmed and stunned. On the other hand, representation 2 values the complete opposite view. The second source represents the idea that regular people had the inclination to “battle on” with their lives. This is evident, since we can see Arnold Tabbs in his school uniform-which proposes that he continues to attend school regardless of the wreckage the war has caused. As well as this, the source actually mentions that “Arnold Tabbs battles on” and the war has no shattering of his normal life. To summarize this, representation 1 emphasizes that the Blitz created the difficulty and struggle to stay calm and carry on, whereas representation 2 represents the idea that civilians affected by the Second World War managed to continue living their normal lives, despite the chaos around them.
In conclusion, although there are some resemblances between representation one and two (which mainly regard the agreement towards the major turmoil and disaster that world war two brought on), I sternly believe that representation one and representation two significantly differ. The reason for this decision, is because representation one clearly endorses the idea that there was a very low state of morale amongst the British population (this can be clearly be seen in the title “Rethinking British Morale”). In contrast to this, representation two signifies that civilians (much like Arnold Tabbs) were able to “battle on” with high hope and morale during the period of the Blitz.
