The Importance Of Realism In Literature

Glory and gore go hand in hand... depending on who writes it. During the great tragedy of World War One, writers expressed two major viewpoints of the war: patriotism/idealism, and cynicism. The artists who focused on idealistic and patriotic themes wrote mainly at the beginning of the war, prior to the point where its full horrors, and its futility became apparent. Examples include the British soldier/poets, Rupert Brooke and Julian Grenfell. On the other hand, we had poets like Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, and the German novelist, Erich Maria Remarque, who became famous for their cynical and even bitter approach to war. Their dark vision was shaped by first-hand experience of some of the most terrible battles ever fought. While reading these works nearly one hundred years later, it may seem like the poets who spoke of the horrors of the war had the most accurate perception, but that would not have been so clear in the early stage of the war, and the writers who expressed the idealistic view of war were undoubtedly sincere. Today, we can appreciate both outlooks.

During this era, idealistic literature often served as a form of propaganda, used to glorify aspects of war, gain support for the war, and to recruit young soldiers. Literature has the capacity to convince readers, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Idealistic writing was used to inspire young men, give hope to anxious families, and show appreciation for those willing to sacrifice their lives. At the same time, some of the writing could be over the top, and exert a great deal of pressure upon those uncertain about the war and their responsibilities, especially young adults. Regardless of one’s personal feelings, it was it difficult to avoid joining...

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...ysical wounds, your emotional wounds would always be deeper. Soldiers who survived were eternally traumatized and struggled to regain their humanity. In literature authors like Wilfred Owen who had personally killed men, and seen hundreds die, did not glorify war through their work, while poets like Rupert Brooke who were unaware of the darkness beneath the shiny medals and pride, wrote with patriotism. This shows the impact and difference of perspective found in literature during World War One and how a writer’s background and experience strongly influences the way one perceives a certain situation, for those who do not experience have no way of judging, or knowing. Tragedy is not something that should be promoted as glorious, but courage is, for courage is always commendable, but not all wars are. Therefore, glory and gore do not necessarily go hand in hand.