The Role Of War In Birdsong By William Faulks

Register to read the introduction… Following the Battle of the Somme, Faulks describes the ‘crippled sleepers’ rising from the ground, saying that it resembled a ‘resurrection in a cemetery’ ; a simile which represents the fact that the men are now the living dead; their old lives have been stolen from them. Faulks anthropomorphises the soil, saying that the men ‘teemed up from the reluctant earth’ alluding that even nature has turned against the men. The characters Stephen and Weir discuss the atrocities which have occurred during the Battle and Weir becomes hysterical, repeatedly asking what the men have done. Weir says ‘we’ll never get back to how it was before’ after considering the scale of the battle. The men believe that it is impossible to return to their old lives. Years after it ended, the character of Elizabeth describes the War as a ‘hellish perversion’ which conjures up images of a violation and corruption. This violation is of the natural order of life. Faulks introduces a juxtaposition between the natural, beautiful world and the world of War. Faulks directly juxtaposes these two ideas when he discusses the soldier Shaw, describing him caressing a dog, which is a juxtaposition not only of the natural dog and unnatural, damaged soldier, but also of innocence and loss of it. Shaw’s hands have done terrible things, yet now they are petting a pure dog. Such contrasts highlight the impact that the War had and how it changed people’s lives. When the character Stephen returns to England on leave, he experiences an epiphany which helps him to understand that although this new reality is horrific, it is only temporary. Stephen exclaims that he longs for the ‘unity of the world’s creation’ which he now feels a ‘passionate affinity’ for. Faulks use of catharsis and choice of language …show more content…
The structure of the novel leads to a complete cycle, with Faulks making the dénouement of the novel the birth of a baby; a phoenix arising from the ashes of War. Robert comments that the unborn baby is ‘designed to survive’ which can be compared with the men preparing for War. The birth of the baby is seen as a type of battle. However, this time the horror is actually for a positive outcome; new life as opposed to soldiers in moribund situations. Faulks chooses to be very graphic concerning the birth scene, describing ‘Elizabeth’s divided flesh’ and that her body ‘contracted and heaved…but produced only blood’ which invokes connotations of the vivid War scenes within the novel. These connotations have the effect of continuing the link between the two generations. A link is also created between Elizabeth and Tipper as Faulks describes that Robert could see Elizabeth’s eyes ‘fill with a determination he had never seen’ which contrasts with the dehumanisation of Tipper as light was lost from his eyes. In this case, Elizabeth is having new life brought to her. The new life of the character baby John indicates that the effects of the War will always remain and that within ‘those still living’ its memory will always live