Throughout the history of literature, history itself has influenced countless pieces of script. Many social norms changed and thus, gave birth to the dawn of new stories. Stories from past battles or past conflicts seeped into the writings of authors all over the world. Having being set continents apart, Nadine Gordimer’s “Comrades,” and Honore de Balzac’s “The Conscript,” are an iridescent example of histories mark on stories. The two authors exemplify the dangers and struggles by using their own voice as they further the plot. The historical background of a text can influence the types of character, the central conflict and the overall setting as shown in Gordimer’s and Balzac’s short stories.
History and its circumstances can shape the way characters act and think of everyday life. In “Comrades,” it is stated “The Youngsters like her were part of the crowd…the committee of white and black activists…-Comrade, are you going to town,” (Gordimer 684). The children are a group of activists for the fight against Apartheid. At that time, Blacks were segregated and did not have the privilege of owning anything of value. Because of this historical indent, children like these did not have money or even cars to transport them. Similarly, in “The Conscript,” the author states that “But in 1793 Madame De Dey’s behavior could have the disastrous consequences… Aristocrats … involved in a matter of life and death,” (Balzac 622). During Madame Dey’s time, the French Revolution is booming and many Aristocrats were killed if they were found. This internal war caused Madame Dey to act extremely nice in her new home and tried vigorously not to attract suspicion. She acts like an amusing and ordinary person, not revealing her inner feelings.
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... The characters, conflict, setting etc. that contribute to the flow and action of the story depends greatly on the type of background and history supporting them. For an event to take place, a proper cause needs to be established and thus, shows us that every element of a story would have been different if the story took place for a different reason. Both Gordimer and Balzac use the mishaps of everyday life to conjure up meaningful stories that are affected by these social or historical changes.
Works Cited
Balzac, Honor. "The Conscript." Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2002. 622-31. Print.
Gordimer, Nadine. "Comrades." Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2002. 684-87. Print.
Many times readers lose interest in stories that they feel are not authentic. In addition, readers feel that fictitious novels and stories are for children and lack depth. Tim O’ Brien maintains that keeping readers of fiction entertained is a most daunting task, “The problem with unsuccessful stories is usually simple: they are boring, a consequence of the failure of imagination- to vividly imagine and to vividly render extraordinary human events, or sequences of events, is the hard-lifting, heavy-duty, day-by-day, unending labor of a fiction writer” (Tim O’ Brien 623). Tim O’ Brien’s “How to Tell a True War Story” examines the correlation between the real experiences of war and the art of storytelling. In O’Brien’s attempt to bridge the gap between fiction and non-fiction, the narrator of the story uses language and acts of violence that may be offensive to some.
Robert Ross is a sensitive, private boy; last person you would expect to sign up to fight in World War One. In The Wars by Timothy Findley, symbols are used in conjunction with Ross’ story to cause readers to reflect on symbols in their own lives, and to allow then to dive deeper into the world of an innocent boy who is placed into a cruel war. The various symbols in The Wars provide for a graphic and reflective reading experience by emphasizing Robert’s connection with nature, his past, and his experiences during the war.
O’Brien, Tim. “How To Tell a True War Story.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2003. p. 420-429.
In Louise Erdrich’s The Round House and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, events from the past are used to develop the characters and plot lines in the novels. In The Round House, Mooshum’s stories of the windigoo that he tells in his dreams, the subplot involving Linda and Linden Lark, and the apparent negativity towards Catholicism shown on the reservation show the pervasive influence of the past on the present. In The God of Small Things, the inclusion of Pappachi’s moth throughout the novel, the constant referencing to the Love Laws, and continuing problems involving race relations show how much of an influence the past has on the present for the characters and the plot.
Via the use of these key concepts, Knowles tells us through Gene’s story that perspectives change and how, “the more things remain the same, the more they change after all,” (14). In a story about two anxious boys discovering their identities and values during a time of war, the codes and concepts of semiotics that John Knowles employs links the story to the larger world, signifying key ideas and feelings that loomed around America throughout the draft of World War
John Keegan, the author of “The Face of Battle” is allowing the reader to view different perspective of history, from the eyes of the soldier. Although by his own account, Keegan acknowledges, “I have never been in a battle. And I grow increasingly convinced that I have very little idea of what a battle can be like.” Keegan scorns historians for pointing the finger of failure after an evolution occurs and not examining the soldier’s point of view while the battle is transpiring.
...n amnesiac nation into “working through” its troubled past.” (Bly ,189) Story telling was the soldier’s salvation, their survival method. Being able to tell their stories let them express everything they were feeling and ultimately cope with the horrors of war and the guilt the carried.
While soldiers are often perceived as glorious heroes in romantic literature, this is not always true as the trauma of fighting in war has many detrimental side effects. In Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front, the story of a young German soldier is told as he adapts to the harsh life of a World War I soldier. Fighting along the Western Front, nineteen year old Paul Baumer and his comrades begin to experience some of the hardest things that war has to offer. Paul’s old self gradually begins to deteriorate as he is awakened to the harsh reality of World War 1, depriving him from his childhood, numbing all normal human emotions and distancing the future, reducing the quality of his life. At the age of nineteen, Paul naively enlists in World War 1, blind to the fact he has now taken away his own childhood.
Since the beginning of history, human society has centered around war. People throughout the ages have attempted to understand why wars occur, and the effect of war on the people who fight in them. Authors have utilized the power of language to attempt to grasp the struggle and the horror of war, and make it accessible to the public. For example, Hemingway’s “In Another Country” and Bierce’s “Coup de Grace” both provide a glimpse into different aspects of war. Although they both pertain to the idea of war, “In Another Country” focuses on the psychological trauma of war while “Coup de Grace” showcases the horror of war. This is visible in the theme, setting, and characters of both stories.
Often, one may sense a conflict that one must fight against an intangible enemy that one feels is there. The temptation of competition, envy, or peer pressure can cause one to change one’s actions and ideals, even when this conflict only prevails in one’s own mind. When the mind generates a war that does not even exist, the premise is most likely an incomprehension of the subject matter, leading to assumption about the situation based on one’s knowledge, creating a self-waged war. These controlling cranial concoctions remain an important theme in literature, especially literary compositions on the subject of historical wars themselves. One such example lies in A Separate Peace by John Knowles, a novel on the subject of World War II from the perspective of prep school students. In the novel, the protagonist Gene creates his own wars based on the ignorant presumption that his associates compete with him, his personal battles reflect the large-scale wars fought by adults, and Knowles utilizes these personal wars to convey a moral lessson to the reader.
Though the book is a novel, it gives the reader insights into the realities of war. In this genre, the author is free to develop the characters in a way that brings the reader into the life of Paul Baumer and his comrades. The novel frees the author from recounting only cold, sterile facts. This approach allows the reader to experience what might have been irrelevant facts if presented in a textbook. This book is written from a perspective foreign to most Americans.
“A Tale Intended to be After the Fact…” is how Stephan Crane introduced his harrowing story, “The Open Boat,” but this statement also shows that history influences American Literature. Throughout history, there has been a connection among literary works from different periods. The connection is that History, current events, and social events have influenced American Literature. Authors, their literary works, and the specific writing styles; are affected and influenced by the world around them. Authors have long used experiences they have lived through and/or taken out of history to help shape and express in their works. Writing styles are also affected by the current trends and opinions of the period they represent. By reading American Literature, we have seen the inhumane treatment of slaves, we have seen the destruction caused by wars, and we have seen the devastation of eras such as The Great Depression.
Literature is creative writing of recognized artistic value. Literature represents the very best of human expression. We read and celebrate Literature for many reasons. A few of these reasons are,- to be inspired, to be delighted, to embark on incredible ventures and others.
In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, most literary works revolved around the dismissal and concept of progress with an evident desire to retreat back to the pure and simple lifestyles of the earlier ages. This is a prime example of how events, our history, and our society can affect our literature. Literature is greatly intertwined with our history, society, and lives. Literature has changed over time, has a major impact on our society, and affects us, as people.
History is no more confined to a monolithic collection of facts and their hegemonic interpretations but has found a prominent space in narratives. The recent surge in using narrative in contemporary history has given historical fiction a space in historiography. With Hayden White’s definition of history as a “verbal structure in the form of a narrative prose discourse” literature is perceived to be closer to historiography, in the present age (ix). History has regained acceptance and popularity in the guise of fiction, as signified by the rising status of historical fiction in the post colonial literary world.