A Yankee in the Trenches · Question
How does A Yankee in the Trenches develop the theme of Dehumanization and Brutality?
Answer
A Yankee in the Trenches by Robert Derby Holmes develops Dehumanization and Brutality across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Stories of German atrocities, such as the crucifixion of a sergeant and the assault on a French family, are used to illustrate the enemy's inhumanity and to fuel the soldiers' will to fight.
The casual treatment of dead bodies, the use of tear gas, and the self-inflicted wound of Issy Epstein illustrate the dehumanizing and brutal conditions faced by soldiers.
Prisoners are searched, stripped of suspenders and belts, and marched under fire; seven are killed by shrapnel, highlighting the callousness of war.
The German officer's treacherous attack and the narrator's reflection on war-worn boys touched with cruelty underscore the dehumanizing effects of combat.
Evidence in the book
- IX: First Sight of the Tanks
The casual treatment of dead bodies, the use of tear gas, and the self-inflicted wound of Issy Epstein illustrate the dehumanizing and brutal conditions faced by soldiers.
- X: Following the Tanks Into Battle
Prisoners are searched, stripped of suspenders and belts, and marched under fire; seven are killed by shrapnel, highlighting the callousness of war.
- XI: Prisoners
The German officer's treacherous attack and the narrator's reflection on war-worn boys touched with cruelty underscore the dehumanizing effects of combat.
- XIV: The Last Time Over the Top
The narrator's fetish worship of his mascot and the sheer brutality of the attack illustrate the dehumanizing stress of war.
