How Does Faulks's Indifference To Human Suffering In Bewwan

Discuss how Faulks presents human nature’s indifference to human suffering in ‘Birdsong’
World War One inspires numerous authors and artists at the time and ever since. This war continued to engage the reading public during the late stages of the twentieth century significantly as British literature changed significantly from simple stories to a realistic and meaningful approach to life. Faulks’ presentation of human nature’s indifference to human suffering explores this as readers undertake a philosophical understanding about the psyche and attitudes towards war through Stephen’s experience through 1910 to 1918. As well as understanding history and its relevance to the present through the character Elizabeth in 1978, as Faulks’ intention

A pivotal example of this is Faulks introducing Elizabeth in England 1978 immediately after France 1916 following the aftermath of the Battle of the Somme, which reinforces the disconnection between the timeframes. This unawareness of the Great War is clear through Elizabeth’s dialogue of generalising the war as ‘boring’ and ‘depressing’ demonstrating that this indifference is the reason why Faulks conveys this character to epitomise the theme of History and its connection to the present through her relations to Stephen, but notably her experience with such characters like Brennan. Brennan is rather symbolic as Faulks presents him as one of the forgotten heroes through the paradox of ‘death in life’ as he rots in a care home, where experience stays in a ‘forgotten world’. Faulks also explores Elizabeth’s indifference through her childlessness as the short sentence of ‘what had gone before her’ has a very bitter tone in criticising Elizabeth wanting to have children despite no knowledge of her past and therefore improve upon [it]’ to break the silence around the Great War. Therefore, by the significance of Elizabeth naming her baby john, echoes Stephen’s promise to Jack about having ‘children for [him]’ which reinforces that Elizabeth’s significance furthermore as she is the ‘chain’ that ‘intact[s]’ the relevance of the Great war in present day. Therefore, the metaphor of the crow’s ‘harsh,

Perhaps Faulks’ main intention of using Weir to explore the attitudes at the home front debunks the myth that the generals in the war were ‘butchers’ to reinforce that they had the same experience as the soldiers. The fact that Faulks reiterates the lexicon of ‘bored’ as a response from Weir’s father demonstrates this total indifference in the Home Front. This is understandable because the government essentially had to cover up information about the war and reinforced this with propaganda and a sense of nationalism to remain victorious in the war, despite it being a ‘crime against nature.’ The imagery of a ‘great bombardment’, possibly referring to a German Blip, epitomises the frustration that many generals and soldiers would have felt because of this indifference at the home front, clear through Weir directing this to his family because of their lack of understanding. However, it is clear to notify that the Defence of the Real Act (Dora) had the government overpower the public’s lives through censorship around the war. It is clear that this absence of knowledge establishes the attitudes of the soldiers to be indifferent too as Faulks reiterates through Stephen that the fighting should not be for the dead not for ‘home’. Therefore, this anger is epitomised through the Stephen’s ‘indifference and resentment’ by not talking for two