The Aftermath Of World War One
James Fleming
Prof. Kelley
American Novel
5/1/2013
The Aftermath of World War One War often has a profound effect on the people that live through it. The very foundations of countless generations have been built on the experience of war. War has a tendency to divide some people and bond others together. There is always hatred for the enemy but there is no greater bond than that of comrades in war. This experience creates a culture of its own in which some people are included and others are outsiders. Those who fight in war, indeed mourn for those who have fallen, but also have a sense of pride and accomplishment for having survived while serving their nation. Veterans of World War One created such a culture. Those who fought felt …show more content…
Their lives are empty because they no longer truly believe in anything, so they fill their time with inconsequential and escapist activities, such as drinking and dancing. “Jake epitomizes the Lost Generation; physically and emotionally wounded from the war, he is disillusioned, cares little about conventional sources of hope -- family, friends, religion, and work -- and apathetically drinks his way through his expatriate life. Even travel, a rich source of potential experience, mostly becomes an excuse to drink in exotic locales” (gradesaver.com, web). Although Hemingway never uses the term aimless, he implies this idea through his portrayal of the characters’ emotional and mental lives, which are drastically different than the characters actions and …show more content…
The conversations among Jake and his friends are rarely direct or honest. Although the memories of the war haunt them all, they are unable to communicate this torment to each other. Instead, they talk about the war only in a humorous fashion. The only moments of genuine communication tend to arise when the characters are at their low points. Therefore, usually only dark emotions are expressed. The expressing of affection is limited practically entirely to Jake and Bill’s fishing trip. Very often, their carousing is unhappy and driven by alcohol. Nearly all of the characters are alcoholics. They are almost always drinking, usually to excess. Their drinking provides a way of escaping reality and allows them to endure lives severely lacking in purpose. It allows them not to think about the war or their personal issues. Their drinking and dancing is just a futile activity, a purposeless distraction of an aimless life. Alcohol frequently brings out the worst in the characters, showing the drawback of drinking. The characters’ debauchers lifestyle has left them
Prof. Kelley
American Novel
5/1/2013
The Aftermath of World War One War often has a profound effect on the people that live through it. The very foundations of countless generations have been built on the experience of war. War has a tendency to divide some people and bond others together. There is always hatred for the enemy but there is no greater bond than that of comrades in war. This experience creates a culture of its own in which some people are included and others are outsiders. Those who fight in war, indeed mourn for those who have fallen, but also have a sense of pride and accomplishment for having survived while serving their nation. Veterans of World War One created such a culture. Those who fought felt …show more content…
Their lives are empty because they no longer truly believe in anything, so they fill their time with inconsequential and escapist activities, such as drinking and dancing. “Jake epitomizes the Lost Generation; physically and emotionally wounded from the war, he is disillusioned, cares little about conventional sources of hope -- family, friends, religion, and work -- and apathetically drinks his way through his expatriate life. Even travel, a rich source of potential experience, mostly becomes an excuse to drink in exotic locales” (gradesaver.com, web). Although Hemingway never uses the term aimless, he implies this idea through his portrayal of the characters’ emotional and mental lives, which are drastically different than the characters actions and …show more content…
The conversations among Jake and his friends are rarely direct or honest. Although the memories of the war haunt them all, they are unable to communicate this torment to each other. Instead, they talk about the war only in a humorous fashion. The only moments of genuine communication tend to arise when the characters are at their low points. Therefore, usually only dark emotions are expressed. The expressing of affection is limited practically entirely to Jake and Bill’s fishing trip. Very often, their carousing is unhappy and driven by alcohol. Nearly all of the characters are alcoholics. They are almost always drinking, usually to excess. Their drinking provides a way of escaping reality and allows them to endure lives severely lacking in purpose. It allows them not to think about the war or their personal issues. Their drinking and dancing is just a futile activity, a purposeless distraction of an aimless life. Alcohol frequently brings out the worst in the characters, showing the drawback of drinking. The characters’ debauchers lifestyle has left them