Disenchantment · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Disenchantment by C. E. Montague.

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Chapter 1
Dedication
The book is dedicated to Aubrey Montague of Lautoka, Fiji, with a line from Robert Burns' poem 'Auld Lang Syne' evoking shared childhood experiences.
Chapter 2
Disenchantment
The chapter explores the profound disillusionment that sets in after the initial fervor of war fades, as soldiers and society confront the grim reality of conflict, the failure of institutions, and the loss of innocence.
Chapter 3
I: The Vision
The chapter describes the initial experience of new recruits in 1915, focusing on the immense simplification of life, the joy of physical exertion, and the powerful illusions of comradeship and national unity. It contrasts the complex worries of civilian life with the peace and blitheness found in military obedience, and reflects on the poignant memories of that spring, including a memorable night in a hut in Essex.
Chapter 4
I
The chapter reflects on the post-war disillusionment of the well-to-do, contrasting the material comforts of the pre-war era with the inconveniences and realizations brought by the war, and satirizes the naive expectations that the war would preserve or enhance their privileged way of life.
Chapter 5
II
The chapter reflects on the cyclical nature of war's fashionability, tracing a resurgence of militaristic sentiment among intellectuals and writers in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. It critiques how fragile, bookish men romanticized violence and war, with figures like Stevenson, Henley, Lang, Haggard, and Kipling contributing to a cultural shift that idealized conflict and scorned peace.

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Dedication

Disenchantment

I: The Vision

I

II