War in Literature

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how many poets and novelists throughout Western history have used the written page as a method of expressing their beliefs about warfare through their characters. The paper specifically focuses on a few novels and poems and describes their author's reactions to war and issues that are related to war, such as the draft.

From the Paper:

"In addition to Owen, Crane and Hemingway, of course, there are many other authors who write about the impact of war on the human psyche. War and its affect on the people and their societies is such a considerable part of human history that it is impossible for writers to ignore this topic. However, most of these poems, short stories and novels should not be taken literally as just a piece about a specific war. Rather, the author in most cases is addressing what happens to people in all wars regardless of when they occur or who is fighting. The essential message is not whethe or not the authors condoned or condemned the war. Rather, it is how they describe the impact that these wars have had on their own psyche and/or their characters."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Crane, Stepen. Red Badge of Courage. New York: Modern Library, 2000.
• Hemingway, Ernest. Big Two Hearted River. In Hemingway, Ernest. The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. New York: Scribner's, 1987.
• O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Random House, 1998.
• Stewart, Matthew. Hemingway and World War I: Combatting recent psychobiographical reassessments, restoring the war. Papers on Language and Literature. (2000) 36, 198-217
• Vernon, Alex. War, gender, and Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway Review.(2000). 22.1: 34-55

More papers on War in Literature:

• Essay # 42551 : "War in Literature"
• Essay # 62428 : "War in Literature and Reality"
• Analytical Essay # 57819 : " War in Literature"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: