# Dehumanization and Brutality in A Yankee in the Trenches

> Theme guide for A Yankee in the Trenches by Robert Derby Holmes.

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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_yankee_in_the_trenches_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_yankee_in_the_trenches_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_yankee_in_the_trenches_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_yankee_in_the_trenches_se/chapters/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.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_yankee_in_the_trenches_se/themes/dehumanization_and_brutality
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_yankee_in_the_trenches_se/themes