Pacifism And Colonialism In The War By Louis-Ferdinand Céline

As a young man, Louis-Ferdinand Céline signs up for the cavalry during World War I. The atrocities that he witnesses during his time here shape the way he sees the world for the rest of his life. His experiences in the war draw him to pacifism and nihilism. Drawn by heroism and nationalism, the young Céline finds only pointlessness and waste of human life. After the war, in which he approves of cowardice, Céline sets sail to Africa to work in the French colony of Cameroon. In this colony there is extreme white supremacy, while the indigenous population is suppressed. The white colonists act and are treated as gods. During this period Céline starts to question morality of humanity. Upon returning from Cameroon, Céline studies medicine successfully.

Ferdinand is intuitively afraid of individuals, crowds and society as a whole. While en route to the colony, Bardamu experiences this fear of others, when he is condemned to death by his fellow passengers, because he is traveling with an inexpensive fare.

In the colony he beholds the shameful results of colonialism. Ferdinand again fears for his life. As he stumbles through the jungle, nature tests his resilience with bugs, diseases and delirious colonists. In the middle of the wilderness, he encounters Robinson, who retreats into the jungle. Ferdinand, after being tortured by malaria and high fevers, follows Robinson’s footsteps and becomes subject to manic episodes. Nature is like a sword of Damocles constantly hanging above Ferdinand’s head. Eventually he is put on a Spanish vessel en route to New York

Consequently, the world appears to be a trap. Aggression from fellow humans comes from every direction. Every time Bardamu conveys the impression of being settled in a particular situation, an urge to abandon vanish gradually takes hold of him. Even the most splendid living condition turns into a predicament. Bardamu’s fear leads to a severe sense of instability and uncertainty from which he cannot escape.

Somehow he finds Lola, who wants nothing to do with him. After he manages to extract some funds from her, he travels to Detroit, where he finds a job in an automobile factory. Here he again encounters Robinson, who works as a street sweeper. In this industrial city, he frequently visits Molly, a prostitute who falls in love with him. However, Bardamu’s profound urge to run away from his present situation induces him to return to