Birdsong and A Farewell To Arms Conflict Essay
“Birdsong has to imagine mechanised slaughter. In the description of the first day of the Battle of the Somme, death comes so thick that the narrative cannot pause for individuals.”[1]
Within the novel “Birdsong”, by Sebastian Faulks, there are many uses of conflict. The main themes within said conflict are physical devastation, psychological conflict and environmental devastation. These three themes are repeated numerous times throughout the novel to portray the conflict which the protagonists, Stephen Wraysford and his granddaughter Elizabeth, experience, ultimately developing the character throughout.
Throughout the novel there are many examples of environmental devastation, however one of the major contributors, is the juxtaposition of the River Somme before and during the battle. Initially the River Somme, described by Stephen, is depicted as a pastoral, picturesque paradise in which Stephen resides in, whilst attempting and succeeding in seducing Isabelle. The description of the gardens around the Somme, are portrayed to have “quiet pools”[2] containing “wild flowers”[3] which “lay beneath the branches of overhanging trees”[4], however this juxtaposes the description of the Somme further in the Novel and common knowledge, as it is known to be a major battle of the first world war, and is described as a grey, desolate wasteland in which the soldiers had to suffer and endure the waves of enemies cascading upon them. David James stated that the River Somme was “the most infamous battle in British history…”[5] and according to Faulks’ depiction, one could concur with James as it displayed in the most graphic portrayal possible with a variety of vocabulary expressing the grotesque and gruesome deaths which the characters, and soldiers, endure and suffer, “Jack saw part of Turner’s face and hair still attached to a piece of skull rolling to a halt…”[6] .
Another First World War author Ernest Hemingway, author of “A Farewell To Arms”, juxtaposes Birdsong with the most significant factor of environmental conflict, the recurring motif and the use of pathetic fallacy of rain. Within the novel Hemingway uses the rain to mirror the moments when Henry and Catherine, the protagonists, are at their weakest. This is evident when Henry walks back to his hotel, after Catherine has died, “in the rain”[7]. This use of pathetic fallacy conveys a sense of pain, sadness and loneliness. This contrasts Birdsong as the conflict is not a form of destruction, it is more symbolic. Alternatively it could be interpreted that the rain is a conveyance of punishment, after the death of Catherine, on a religious aspect. As is previously stated in the novel Henry says he is “afraid of God”[8] and this punishment from God is due to the numerous crimes and sins he commits, especially that of the seven deadly sins. For example, Henry puts his friends and comrades in danger in order to feed himself more so than his subordinates. This is an example of the deadly sin gluttony. “Another burst and in the noise you could hear the smaller noise of brick and dirt raining down.
‘what is there to eat?’…”[9]
Also when Catherine talks about feeling like a “whore”[10]. Instead of consoling her, he dismisses her as he wishes to seduce her rather than comfort the lamenting woman, this being an example of lust. Ultimately, the use of the pathetic fallacy, rain, is an example of environmental conflict regardless of its lack of destruction and its religious connotations.
Returning to birdsong, the passages in which Stephen and his men are underground, especially when Stephen is trapped with Jack Firebrace and is then rescued from certain death, are similar if not reminiscent of Wilfred Owen’s “Strange Meeting”[11]. In this poem, Owen portrays an encounter between two soldiers from opposite armies, effectively enemies to each other. These two characters essentially meet in hell, although it is described as an underground tunnel, similar to Birdsong with Stephen and Levi encounter in the tunnels. The inevitable meeting between Stephen and Levi mirrors this poem as both “soldiers cannot blame or hate another for earlier actions”[12] which has caused drastic negative repercussions, as both of them desire peace. This is an example of physical and psychological conflict as Levi wishes to kill Stephen yet he is unable to, and the trench warfare which causes Jack and Stephen to become trapped.
Another example of physical devastation is the depiction of the deaths of certain characters. Normally the characters with more importance would have a greater “death”, however Faulks juxtaposes this norm. For example, Ellis is deemed to be a fairly important character to the novel, as he emphasises to the reader how “war-weary”[13] Stephen and Weir have become and yet he is only briefly referred to when his death occurs, “killed by machine-gun fire”[14]. His death regardless of being important is “glossed over”[15]. Prior to this passage, the injuries which lead to the deaths of Douglas, Wilkinson and Reeves are described in “great detail”[16], with complete information portraying how they received their wounds and injuries. Weir’s death is depicted differently again, in that the portrayal here is more poetic similar to that of a lament, almost as though it is happening in “slow-motion”[17]. There is a considerable amount of significance in this, as Weir’s final meeting with Stephen had resulted with Stephen violently pushing him in the mud. This description allows the reader to understand and comprehend the importance of this action, as it is reflected in his death, “a sniper’s bullet entered his head above the eye causing trails of his brain to loop out onto the sandbags of the parados behind him.
His body seemed for a moment unaware of what had happened, as though it would carry on walking. Then if fell like a puppet, its limbs shooting out, and the face smashing unprotected into mud.”[18]
Hemingway contradicts the noble motives behind the battles in “Birdsong”[19] which Stephen and his men experience in their attempts at advancing into enemy territory. This is evident in the passage which Henry risks his life for an insignificant slab of cheese to dress his pasta. This passage where he braves mortar shells mirrors the common, yet popular, “literary convention of the protagonist facing great adversity to accomplish a”[20] heroic and “noble end”[21]. Henry’s task and aim is pathetic and completely un-heroic, this show of stupidity juxtaposes Stephens motivation to brave these physical devastations which he and his subordinates experience. The contrast of motives is an example of conflict itself.
Going back to Birdsong, a significant aspect of psychological conflict or devastation is when the soldiers experience post war stress, an example of this is Elizabeth’s visit to the traumatised Brennan. Upon the initial perception of Brennan he is perceived as a little bird, a common repeating motif throughout the novel, sitting upon his stool. He is a character which reader’s sympathise with, as it is clear he had suffers from post-traumatic stress. This stress has lasted his whole life as he speaks of the same event over and over again, “Such fireworks. We was all there, the whole street. There was dancing…”[22]. Alternatively, it could be interpreted that Brennan is attempting to achieve peace or some deviation of enlightenment, with his constant mumbling of the same events in attempts of understanding the reasoning of the acts performed in the battles in which he participated in.
Faulks uses the declination of Weir’s mental state as another depiction of psychological conflict upon the battlefront. This occurs when Weir begs Stephen to “hold”[23] him and “call him”[24] by his “name”[25]. This passage shows that the war was having psychological impact on the soldiers as Weir, the ideal soldier, is driven into a bubbling wreck by his fear. This creates a sense of empathy towards Weir as he is unable to contain his fear and requires comfort from Stephen whom Weir perceives as a father or mother substitute. Not only is this interpretation an example of psychological conflict, but is also a portrayal of the deterioration of masculinity, a common theme within the novel.
Within “A Farewell To Arms”[26] it is clear that both protagonist, Henry and Catherine, experience a case of psychological declination. This is due to the vulnerability that the two characters develop because of the effects of the war and Catherine’s pregnancy. Due to this vulnerability the two turn to each other for support and thus to cope, they develop an ever increasing build up of madness. This degradation of mental state is evident when Henry is told that Catherine will shortly die and as an act to console Catherine he attempts to hold her hand to comfort her. She thus reacts violently and shouts “Don’t touch me”[27] and then moments later stating “you touch me all you want”[28]. This similarly links to Brennan and his deterioration of mental state as he is vulnerable and constantly mumbles the same few sentences in disbelief as mentally unstable people tend to do.
Faulks utilizes the boy in the nursing ward in which Stephen is hospitalised to portray physical devastation created within the First World War. Faulks use’s the many examples of emotive and almost grotesque language within the description of the boy’s predicament. One could believe, Faulks intentionally does to create a sense of shock therefore the reader understands the true nature of The War compared to the glorified image created by those who either were far enough from the front lines to be safe or those who had never experienced the true nature of war. Alternatively this passage was written so the reader would understand and empathise with Stephen, as he wishes for the Boy’s release from pain and longs “for him to die”[29], however it is also arguable that Stephen is cold hearted and selfish and wants this boy to stop his cries in pain so he can rest peacefully. Although this interpretation is incredibly unlikely and therefore an ambiguous passage, a common motif throughout Owen Wilson’s poem. Stephen’s attempts at consoling the grieving nurse by “catching her eye”[30] juxtaposes the previous analysis, this also creates a sense of empathy towards Stephen and almost pity as this his is first sign of weakness since losing Isabelle. Faulk’s depiction of the gassed boy links contextually to Wilson’s poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est”[31] as both of their works link to similar chaos in the war. However, that being said, Wilson’s poem contains more similes throughout the description of the tragic events, “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks”[32]. Also, Unlike Birdsong, “Dulce Et Decorum Est”[33] creates a much more ambiguous tone as it is unclear until the mention of “gas”[34] that this poem is indeed relating to the First World War and not another war in the past. Both texts are, ultimately, attempting to shock yet inform the readers into comprehending the tragic events which occurred in the war and it’s repercussions. The use of the simile to describe the burdened soldiers also creates a sense of empathy towards them similar to that of Birdsong towards Stephen, however unlike Birdsong the sense of empathy is created around the soldiers experiencing the havoc rather than Stephen watching a boy suffering and being no more than a bystander unable to aid him in anyway and therefore being too weak to help the boy, similarly like the soldiers being too weak to prevent ordeals they face being gassed.
Unlike Ernest Hemingway, Sebastian Faulks wrote “Birdsong” as a spectator to the war hence his novel is aimed at readers who themselves did not experience this war and only heard rumours from those glorified ones who where far away from the front lines to not get their shoes dirty. It has been made clear from Faulks himself that he contained a fascination for the First World War, “Great War”[35], as Faulks puts it. He states that his fascination derived from his “History teachers charismatic yet sombre attitude towards the war”[36]. This fascination brooded into three books called the “French trilogy” and expands on the First World War portraying it as the most violent act that has yet to happen upon the Earth, Faulks is successful in his attempts at portraying the devastation and destruction which occurred within the war. Within Birdsong Stephen writes within his journal “No child or future generation will ever know what this was like. They will never understand”[37]. “Maybe future generations won’t, maybe they never can if they have not lived through it, But Faulks’s method and his message suggests that it is the readers responsibility to try.”[38]
[1] Mullan, J, Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks(The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jun/29/guardian-book-club-birdsong-sebastian-faulks, 01/12/13)
[2] Faulks, S, Birdsong(London, Vintage, 1993) p7
[3] Faulks, S, Ibid p7
[4] Faulks, S, Ibid p7
[5] James, D, AS/A-Level Student Text Guide Birdsong Sebastian Faulks(London, Phillip Allan, 2010) p56
[6] Faulks, S, Birdsong(London, Vintage, 1993) p124
[7] Hemingway, E, A Farewell To Arms(London, Arrow Books, 1929) p293
[8] Hemingway, E, Ibid p66
[9] Hemingway, E, Ibid p49
[10] Hemingway, E, Ibid p137
[11] Owen, W, The War Poems of Wilfred Owen(London, Chatto & Windus Limited, 1984) p35
[12] Unknown author, Critical Analysis-Language: Birdsong
[13] Unknown author, Critical Analysis-Language: Birdsong
[14] Faulks, S, Birdsong(London, Vintage, 1993) p381
[15] Unknown author, Critical Analysis-Language: Birdsong
[16] Unknown author, Critical Analysis-Language: Birdsong, Ibid
[17] Unknown author, Critical Analysis-Language: Birdsong, Ibid
[18] Faulks, S, Birdsong(London, Vintage, 1993) p385
[19] Faulks, S, Birdsong(London, Vintage, 1993)
[20] Ammary, S, Ernest Hemingway and the Aesthetics of Italian Gastronomy (http://www.doubledialogues.com/issue_fifteen/ammary.html)
[21] Ammary, S, Ibid
[22] Faulks, S, Birdsong(London, Vintage, 1993) p403
[23] Faulks, S, Ibid p240
[24] Faulks, S, Ibid p240
[25] Faulks, S, Ibid p240
[26] Hemingway, E, A Farewell To Arms(London, Arrow Books, 1929)
[27] Hemingway, E, Ibid p293
[28] Hemingway, E, Ibid p293
[29] Faulks, S, Ibid p186
[30] Faulks, S, Ibid p187
[31] Owen, W, The War Poems of Wilfred Owen(London, Chatto & Windus Limited, 1984) p29
[32] Owen, W, Ibid p29
[33] Owen, W, Ibid p29
[34] Owen, W, Ibid p29
[35] Reynolds, M, Sebastian Faulks: The Essential Guide(London, Vintage, 2002) p9
[36] Reynolds, M, Ibid p10
[37] Faulks, S, Ibid p422
[38] Reynolds, M, Ibid p7
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