A Yankee in the Trenches · Theme
Dehumanization and Brutality
How A Yankee in the Trenches develops Dehumanization and Brutality.
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.
Where it surfaces
- 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.