The Impact and Significance of the War Within Faulks' ‘Birdsong’

Faulks’ ‘Birdsong’ is a novel which spans three different time periods, in all of which we meet characters directly connected to the War. Faulks choice of structure allows us to view the impact of the War from numerous viewpoints as well as understanding its significance today. Faulks uses the structure of the novel as well as language to demonstrate this.

For much of ‘Birdsong’ Stephen is the centre of consciousness and so we witness the impact of the War on his life at a personal level. Faulks’ decision to introduce the character of Stephen before World War One allows us to build a connection with him and it makes the effects of the War more apparent when they occur. The form of a novel allows Faulks to explore these effects over an extended time period. We re-meet Stephen through the eyes of Jack which allows us to understand how Stephen is perceived by the men in the War. Jack describes Stephen as being ‘any age from twenty-five to forty’ which highlights the way in which the War has aged Stephen physically over time and contrasts with the handsome, young man we met earlier. Stephen’s physical suffering is further expressed when he considers that his body is not running on ‘natural energy given by food’ but rather by ‘some nervous chemicals supplied by unknown glands’ which contrasts the natural order of life with the conditions in War. The uncertainty in the statement also indicates that no men have been pushed to these limits before, thus how their bodies functions cannot be naturally or medically understood. These effects are also seen in terms of his mental state, as we quickly forget the passionate young man in place of someone who is disconnected from ordinary life. Stephen’s character has turned cold in terms of his e...

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...lipsis here allows us to reflect upon what is being said and relate it back to the earlier points in the novel. Faulks’ associating of events throughout the novel and the impact of the War upon the post-war generation demonstrates the importance of the War, and suggests that we should not lose its memory ourselves. The new life of the character baby John indicates that the effects of the War will always remain and that within ‘those still living’ its memory will always live on.

In summary, Faulks indicates to us that we should have a strong interest in the War because of the sacrifices that the men made for us. The War was a watershed for everything in society and so without it our lives would be very different today. It is not something which should (or will) be forgotten as time passes on, because the memory of War will echo throughout the generations forever.