Civilians' Ignorance for Fighting During War

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Civilians' Ignorance for Fighting During War The reality of the great war was appalling living conditions, disease,

and charges into certain death. Both Owen and Faulks highlight

different ways these truths are ignored by people at the time. Not

only is ignorance shown to be displayed by those away from the

fighting, but also indifference is shown by some of the soldiers

themselves; they too are shown to almost ignore the truth.

Faulks and Owen acknowledge that the soldiers are aware of the dangers

and problems around them, however both refer to soldiers ignoring

these truths, especially when addressing those not directly involved

in the war. Stephen never spoke about the war after it was over. Gray

was unwilling to speak of it to Elizabeth, 'What do you want to know

about all that for…it was years ago'. Faulks shows a desire amongst

the soldiers to keep the truth about the war to themselves.

Owen could not write from the perspective of the future as Faulks did.

However he highlighted the same characteristic; the same trend during

the war that Faulks showed continued after it. In his poem 'The

Letter' Owen adopts the persona of a soldier writing a letter to his

wife. He speaks very positively about his situation, 'I'm in the

pink…I think the war will end this year'. In the pink implied he was

in very good health, yet that was surely an exaggeration given the

living conditions experienced in the war.

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