Patriotism, Glory, and Other Lies

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Patriotism, Glory, and Other Lies

Author: Billy Smith

Many themes, in World War I literature, hinge on the distinction between the soldiers and the elite. Soldiers in World War I were, metaphorically, the swords with which elites of opposing countries would strike each other: the swords were continually bloodied while the hands of the elite remained immaculate. Since the soldiers were doing the grunt work for the elites, they were able to witness, first-hand, the atrociousness of war. This atrociousness was, however, in contrast to what the soldiers had been told about war; concepts such as glory were mysteriously absent from the trenches on the Western front. War, rather than being portrayed as the dehumanizing tragedy that it is, was portrayed as a glorious adventure. Not too long after a soldier experienced their first bombardment did they realise that glory had nothing to do with war. War, it could be seen, was merely a game played by the elites at the expense of the working-class.

The glorious perception of war was grossly incongruous with what the soldiers perceived. To a soldier, the war was devastating; yet, the elite were oblivious or neglectful of this devastation. This notion is exemplified by the following quote from Base Details: "`Poor young chap, ... I used to / know his father well; // Yes, we've lost heavily in this last scrap.' // And when the war is done and youth stone dead, // I'd toddle safely home and die - in bed" (Course Kit, p131). Apathy to this extent is repugnant to people outside of a war; however, amongst soldiers, this is a necessary mental tactic. Yet, this quote was not by a soldier, it was by an...

... middle of paper ...

...he greatest honour. These are the concepts that ensure that killing-machines do not malfunction and that elites can wallow in their vanities; however, people are not machines, and vanity does not justify war.

Bibliography

Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia

The Learning Company, Inc., 1999

Ford, Ford Maddox Parade's End

Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd., 1982

Hemingway, Ernest A Farewell to Arms

New York: Simon & Schuster Inc., 1995

Lewis, Janet (Course Kit) The Literature of World War I

Toronto: Course Kit and Copyright Clearance Centre of the York University Book Store

Remarque, Erich Maria All Quiet on the Western Front

Toronto: Random House, 1956

Silkin, Jon The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry

Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd., 1996

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