Journey’s End?
How does your impression of the relationship of Raleigh and Stanhope change and develop throughout Journey’s End?
Throughout journey’s end, Stanhope and Raleigh’s relationship changes dramatically. The young men were good friends before the war, although it is not obvious when Raleigh arrives at the front. It becomes obvious as the play goes on that the relationship between Raleigh and Stanhope is tense, especially with Stanhope’s hostile attitude towards Raleigh. The young men’s relationship takes an unexpected turn when Raleigh is sent on the raid and Stanhope becomes very protective and brotherly towards him, like when they were younger. Before the war, Raleigh and Stanhope were very close. They ‘‘were at school together’’ (act 1 scene 1 page 11) when Osborne suggests to Raleigh that Stanhope might not remember since Stanhope left school three years before, Raleigh’s reply shows that they were quite close. ‘‘Oh, I think he’ll remember me. You see, it wasn’t only that we were just at school together, our fathers were friends, and Dennis used to come and stay with us in the holidays. Of course, at school I didn’t see much of him, but in the holidays we were terrific pals.’’ (Act1, scene1). ‘‘Oh, I think he’ll remember me’’ shows that Raleigh is quite confident that he was important to Stanhope in his ‘old life’. Even though they were ‘‘terrific pals’’, they seemed to have had a complicated relationship, even back then. Since Stanhope was older, they ‘‘didn’t see much of’’ each other at school. When Osborne asks Raleigh if he knows Stanhope in act 1 scene 1, his reply suggests that he admires Stanhope greatly. ‘‘Yes, rather! We were at school together – at least – of course – I was only a kid and he was one of the big fellows; he’s three years older than I am.’’. Raleigh’s enthusiasm is emphasized by the use of dashes in his reply, which suggest that he is speaking rapidly and breathlessly, thus emphasizing his admiration and awe
Throughout journey’s end, Stanhope and Raleigh’s relationship changes dramatically. The young men were good friends before the war, although it is not obvious when Raleigh arrives at the front. It becomes obvious as the play goes on that the relationship between Raleigh and Stanhope is tense, especially with Stanhope’s hostile attitude towards Raleigh. The young men’s relationship takes an unexpected turn when Raleigh is sent on the raid and Stanhope becomes very protective and brotherly towards him, like when they were younger. Before the war, Raleigh and Stanhope were very close. They ‘‘were at school together’’ (act 1 scene 1 page 11) when Osborne suggests to Raleigh that Stanhope might not remember since Stanhope left school three years before, Raleigh’s reply shows that they were quite close. ‘‘Oh, I think he’ll remember me. You see, it wasn’t only that we were just at school together, our fathers were friends, and Dennis used to come and stay with us in the holidays. Of course, at school I didn’t see much of him, but in the holidays we were terrific pals.’’ (Act1, scene1). ‘‘Oh, I think he’ll remember me’’ shows that Raleigh is quite confident that he was important to Stanhope in his ‘old life’. Even though they were ‘‘terrific pals’’, they seemed to have had a complicated relationship, even back then. Since Stanhope was older, they ‘‘didn’t see much of’’ each other at school. When Osborne asks Raleigh if he knows Stanhope in act 1 scene 1, his reply suggests that he admires Stanhope greatly. ‘‘Yes, rather! We were at school together – at least – of course – I was only a kid and he was one of the big fellows; he’s three years older than I am.’’. Raleigh’s enthusiasm is emphasized by the use of dashes in his reply, which suggest that he is speaking rapidly and breathlessly, thus emphasizing his admiration and awe