Now It Can Be Told · Question
How does Now It Can Be Told develop the theme of Futility of War?
Answer
Now It Can Be Told by Philip Gibbs develops Futility of War across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The book portrays war as a senseless, brutal slaughter that destroys youth and civilization, emphasizing the immense human cost and the failure of military strategies to achieve meaningful progress.
The chapter emphasizes the senseless suffering and destruction, with vivid descriptions of dead and wounded soldiers, civilian flight, and the collapse of civilized life.
The colonel's exclamation 'This must never happen again!' and the narrator's observation of a dead boy kneeling in prayer highlight the senseless loss and horror of war.
The savage hand-to-hand combat and use of a statue of Venus as a weapon highlight the absurdity and brutality of war.
Evidence in the book
- I
The chapter emphasizes the senseless suffering and destruction, with vivid descriptions of dead and wounded soldiers, civilian flight, and the collapse of civilized life.
- III
The colonel's exclamation 'This must never happen again!' and the narrator's observation of a dead boy kneeling in prayer highlight the senseless loss and horror of war.
- V
The savage hand-to-hand combat and use of a statue of Venus as a weapon highlight the absurdity and brutality of war.
- VI
The ruined château, the faceless dead, and the pervasive stench of decay underscore the senseless destruction.
- XVII
The chaos and disorganization of the retreat from Mons, with G.H.Q. forgetting its own adjutant-general, underscores the absurdity and mismanagement of war.
- XVIII
The repeated failed attempts at a 'breakthrough' and the immense cost of life underscore the futility of the Somme campaign.
- XIX
The chapter emphasizes the senselessness of attacks, the cheapness of life, and the 'ghastly tragedy' of battles like Gommecourt and the decimation of the Irish Division.
- XXI
The narrator questions the endless cycle of ridge-taking and the cost in youth, feeling the war is a senseless massacre.
