Introduction
As a fan of war films and literature, I believe it is exceptionally important for the audience to get an authentic view of the time period and the accounts of those involved in the battle. More recent films such as Dunkirk and Saving Private Ryan have been referred to by true war veterans for their realistic depictions of the war. I find it hard for the reader to get a true grasp of how it felt emotionally to be in the situation these men were put in. The film gives its audience a picture; there is slim room for the imagination. Authors such as Ernst Junger take on the challenge of painting that picture for their readers with their words. This is where the style of writing in the book Storm of Steel draws me in. Ernst Junger was present in the war and gave us all of his accounts of what happened without using a subjective point of view. He gave his readers the truth, in some circumstances painting gruesome pictures, but nonetheless put his emotions to the side and gave it to us in “black and white.”
Body
Authenticity and Emotional Connection
I chose to touch upon authenticity to now link it to graphic imagery and explain how both “authors” used it to their advantage. Before that, I believe it’s important to touch upon the position these men were put in while at war. From Storm of Steel, we know that Junger was 19 years old when he was assigned to the 73rd Infantry Regiment of the German army. Yes, 19 years old in the early 1900s wasn’t the same as 19 now, but these were still young men being thrown into a gruesome war blindfolded. In his memoir, Junger does not speak of his life before the war but begins the first sentence describing his first steps into war. “The train stopped at Bazancourt, a small town in Champagne, and we got out.” This helps build the platform of his book in which he is close to emotionless and numb to all of the tragic experiences he came to normalize. As for the film Paths of Glory, which holds irony in its title, it dug deeper into the politics within the troops than Junger had done with his accounts. The focus is on France rather than England or the United States, which is a gratifying change. One of the main characters, General Paul Mireau, is faced with the pressure of sending his unprepared troops to war. The audience gets an insight into his emotions and how he feels about his troop’s failures. Both pieces give their audience true accounts of World War 1; Junger was more of an unadulterated description, as Paths of Glory gave insight into how people involved felt.
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Objective Reality vs. Emotional Response
While reading or watching the material, I try to view them from two perspectives, as a historian and for entertainment. Junger, in my opinion, hit upon both of these with his use of imagery. As I stated earlier, I can appreciate an author that can paint a picture for the reader, especially when it is historically accurate. Junger chose to keep his emotions out of his writing for the most part, which led me to question as a reader. Is he just as numb to the death and cruelty of the war as many other men were? Or did he just choose to put aside his feelings and hide the pain that is a result of being where he was? These are questions that are hard to answer if you are not Ernst Junger. World War I was a very gruesome and devastating war for both sides. Junger, who was on the German side of the war, mentions the carnage and gore in a fashion as if it were normalized. There are multiple occasions in which Junger finds the mutilated body of a French or British soldier who was killed defending their trench. He dedicated multiple paragraphs to purely describing these horrific scenes that he witnessed. I personally enjoyed his touch of humor, which was supported by the fact that it was pure honesty. “He had been chasing a British soldier through a section of trench with hand grenades. When he ran out of missiles to keep his opponent on the run, he continued the chase with lumps of earth while I stood up above, splitting my sides with laughter.” Now I am personally sitting here in my living room giggling, picturing this soldier sprinting with clumps of dirt in his hands. Some people see his emotionless descriptions and dark humor as a glorification of war, but I would like to say it is more of an attempt for him to keep his sanity and cope with it all.
Junger went into great detail about life in the trenches; he recalled his accounts using notes that he had taken throughout his time in the war. Beforehand, Junger gave us a look at the devastation that was brought to the war sites.
“In the space of a single year, a crumbling rural village had sprouted an army town, like a great parasitical growth. The former peacetime aspect of the place was barely discernible. The village pond was where the dragoons watered their horses; infantry exercised in the orchards, and soldiers lay in the meadows sunning themselves. All the peacetime institutions collapsed, and only what was needed for war remained. Hedges and fences were broken or simply torn down for easier access, and everywhere there were large signs giving directions to military traffic. While roofs caved in, furniture was gradually used up as firewood, telephone lines, and electricity cables were installed. Cellars were extended outwards and downwards to make bomb shelters for the residents; the removed earth was dumped in the gardens. The village no longer knew any demarcations or distinctions between thine and mine.”
Conclusion
This quote is lengthy but exemplifies how Junger provided an unbiased description of the war conditions and painted a picture for his audience. This was on page 36, leading the reader up to a book filled with his spine-chilling accounts of the war.
References
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“The Art of War: American War Posters of World War I to World War II” by Jim M. McCollough
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“War and the Cultural Turn” edited by Jeremy Black
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“War and Cinema: The Logistics of Perception” by Paul Virilio
Character Traits: A Journey Of Understanding In ‘To Kill A Mockingbird
Introduction
This character analysis essay will be about “To Kill A Mocking Bird” by “Harper Lee.” This story is known for kids who live in a boring Southern town until the crisis arrives. My character for this essay will be Jean Louise Finch, also known as Scout Finch. Scout is the narrator of To Kill A Mocking Bird; she is also known as the protagonist. She is the lead person in the novel. In her family history, Scout’s mother passed away when she was only two, so she has no memory of her. Scout’s older brother is Jem Finch, and Scout’s guardian is Atticus Finch. The three adjectives of Scout are understandable, tomboy, and aware.
Evolution of Character Traits
Scout is described as Caucasian or also known as white. In the novel, it states Scout is a tomboy, as in she doesn’t like dresses or clothing that restricts her. In the book, Dill (their friend) describes Scout as his future wife. Scout’s brother Jem describes her as annoying. Another thing someone quotes about Scout is a fool or nigger lover. Those traits affect the story because the timeline of this book was way back when so being white was privileged, and being a nigger lover was almost a sin. Kids around her may not like her because of Atticus working with a black man in one of the chapters. Scout never liked people calling her names, so them calling her “Nigger lover,” and that type of stuff caused commotion and fights.
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Scout changes from the beginning of the novel to now because she’s become more mature. She’s also become more aware and familiar with what’s going on in her life. In the beginning, she was more in her bubble and didn’t realize what was going on around her. She also believed differently about black people until she talked to Cal about it and went to Cal’s church with her. For example, Scout went to church with Cal and asked how they were supposed to sing along without books, and Cal had to explain they didn’t have enough money for the books. Scout and Jem also we’re very confused when the Pastor locked the doors on them in the church until they got the money they needed to fundraise for something needed.
At the end of the novel, a scout comes to realize the meaning of Atticus’s quote as she states: “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough”. Scout ends up being very understanding. At the beginning of the novel, Scout thinks very childishly, but then again, she is very young. Going through the novel, she starts to realize what’s going on in her life and what’s going on around her. Her understanding of what’s happening in the book gets the reader to acknowledge what’s happening and intrigues them. The change in her attitude and traits, and personality was for the better; it made her understand that stuff she didn’t use to understand.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Scout has changed from the beginning to end by learning what it means to be put in someone else shoes, as quoted by Atticus. Scout had gone through so much, from trials, deadly dogs, scary houses, and much more. Her change is better for her. Overall this story is life-changing.
References
- “Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’” by Mary McDonagh Murphy
