The Lost Generation Analysis

World War I was a time of tension and death for Europe. This war sparked the build of two opposing political forces called the Allies and the Central Powers. The war was weakened due to the use of trench warfare. Trenches were dug out on each opposing side in order to shelter the soldiers from their enemies. The living conditions in these trenches caused at least two million deaths by the closing of the war. Towards the end of the war, a group made up mostly young persons arose, called the “Lost Generation”. This title refers to the the lack of purpose felt inside the young people who grew up during the war. All of the death and hardship around them, led to loss of faith, courage, and masculinity turning these men into aimless and reckless

This story is about a man named Charlie Wales who returns to Paris after previously living a drunken lifestyle, in order to regain custody of his young daughter Honoria. Wales was ashamed of his past and wished to recreate it. He began his journey on this path of recovery and honor to regain his daughter by removing his past which was the product of his loss. Wales understood that he couldn’t change the past, so he made the present right. This idealistic nature of past to present relationship is outlined within the “Lost Generation” and their works of literature. As the story progresses, so does Wale’s legality in the custody of Honoria. He reaches a high point of transforming himself into a gentleman for his daughter. That horrendous past which caused him to lose his daughter eventually came back to haunt him. In the moment of climax, the receiving of the daughter, his drunken “friends” show up at his hotel, symbolic to his terrible past, forcing his sister in law to withdraw from giving him the custody of Honoria. Wale’s chivalric notions and effort put forth to regain something he loved so dearly, clearly shows his ability to fit what role he was really supposed to play early on. Obtaining Honoria legally was an image of an unattainable past which remained unattainable due to his friends, who are symbolic of his

The male seems to have gotten the female pregnant and believes his world is over. Taken place at a train station to symbolize moving forward and exploring, but without this abortion that he’s hinting and manipulating her for, the train seems to never come. These two seem to be extremely shallow people, a simple and easy conversation about something so complex. Both of these unnamed recipients are separated by certain thresholds being represented by the bamboo bead curtain. By controlling what is coming through the curtain, the man is controlling what is going to the female. Almost forcing her in a manipulative way to take what is coming through the barrier of a curtain. The man uses her luggage when the train is five minutes away as a symbol to force her to move forward. Foreshadowing the fact that his manipulation and controlling nature will make them travel without this child. The tone of the story indicates clearly that this woman is doing something she doesn’t want to. Dodging the scenario multiple times with reference to the hills, she seems to be off about the situation at hand. That barrier between them is broken when the man walks through the beads to “make her feel better” toward the end of the story. When he finally does “make her feel better”, she claims that she’s fine in a sigh of sadness “I feel fine. She said. There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine.” The “Lost