Finished with the War: A Soldier's Declaration - Siegfried Sassoon - Analysis

Original document
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Finished_with_the_War:_A_Soldier%E2%80%99s_Declaration

Analysis

Sassoon’s repetition of the personal pronoun “I” makes it particularly prominent, and consequently serves to reinforce that these are the author’s statements through constantly drawing reference to himself. This serves to make his declarations more personable, more relatable, as there is a definite character behind them, and resultantly the proclamations have greater gravitas for a reader as it is clear that these are the arguments of an impassioned individual, not a report by an emotionally devoid authority or a constrained, detached collective.

Equally, the repetition of the phrase “I believe” overly accentuates Sassoon’s points, enhancing the clarity of the document and the rapidity in which these concepts can be comprehended. The use of the word “…believe…” is also imperative, as its meaning of a resolution in perception helps to direct each of the proclamations following the phrase at the adversary of the piece, namely the cabinet.

Given that the “…conduct of the war…” lay in the jurisdiction of the military, his lack of protest insinuates that he continues to support the armed forces and lays no blame on them for the conditions in which the troops exist. The significance of this is the implication that the military are performing their obligations to the best of their ability, and that the fallacy lies not with the military. Thus, his accusations that it is “…political error and insincerities…” implies that the blame for the protraction of the conflict derives from the administration entirely, with “…insincerities…” portraying the government as a scheming, malevolent entity which has deceived the population; this term also infers a sense of dishonour is attributable to the politicians, that their intrigues are the cause of the sorrows of millions, and subsequently conveys a degree of fury on the part of Sassoon. In turn, one might propose that in concert with the personable language utilised, this effectively functions as emotive language, trying to inculcate a sense of anger and disaffection amongst readers. “…political errors…” also provokes outrage due to the implication that the government, whose task it is to be astute and competent in political matters, is inept, and increases the manifold woes of the body politic. These “…political errors…” are thus inferred to result in inordinate casualties, which in coalition with the concept that the political intrigues of ministers are also extending the conflict, serve to imply that the fault lies with the government.

To compound this, his distinction that he is “…a soldier… acting on behalf of all soldiers…” infers a unity, a fraternity between himself and all other men current campaigning on the Western Front, and that these are their shared views. From this, one might discern a sense of segregation between combatants and the authorities, an impression that they are disparate, in that he identifies as being a “…soldier… acting on behalf of all soldiers…” rather than as an individual make announcements on behalf of his compatriots. Indeed, the ambiguity of the phrase “…all soldiers…” implies that these denouncements are done universally against the establishments of all nations rather than from one perspective. Therefore, there is a sense that the forces of the different nations feel identification with one another rather than with their own governments, consequently implying that the profound dissent of Sassoon is ubiquitous.

Sassoon states that he has borne witness to and experienced the sufferings of the men, yet can “… no longer be a party to prolong these sufferings…” There is overt suggestion that he has a sense of responsibility and guilt regarding these agonies, as the term “…no longer be a party…” implies that he regards himself as being part of the reason for the agonies the men are subject to through his failure to vocalise his dissent, to increase consciousness of the existence of the men at the front. Consequently, this document assumes a degree of righteous or moral action, as the implications are that he is compelled to reveal the truth due to his own troubled conscience, regardless of the repercussions; the latter aspect is reinforced by his initial declaration that this is a “…wilful act of defiance of military authority…”, which proposes that he recognises the implications that this document will have, and indeed did have.

The term “…callous…” means to have a hardened disregard for the situations of others, whilst a “…complacency…” is a state of uncritical regard for one’s self and their actions; consequently, when utilised together, the inference is that the body politic’s lack of critical analysis concerning the government’s actions are equally to blame for the sufferings of the troops, as in their apathy they don’t care for the circumstances which the troops are in. Therefore, one might suggest that there is a degree of resent towards the public in that they haven’t taken a true interest into the affairs of the front, facilitating the continuation of the detrimental state of existence at the front.

All Quiet On The Western Front - Extract Analysis, Pg 23

Shortly after the death of his life-long friend Kemmerich, Bäumer provides a monologue describing how "...the darkness and wind are a salvation... The whole earth is suffused with power and it is streaming into me... What I feel is hunger, but a stronger hunger than just the desire to eat -" 

Darkness conceals and obscures, enveloping that which is present and isolating it from the external; one might therefore propose that it acts as a shield or a cloak, hiding within itself whatever it falls upon. For Bäumer, this would potentially mean enclosing himself in the darkness, isolating and detaching himself from his current existence. The wind, being simply an aspect of nature, is one of the functions of the earth to maintain a habitat. Thus, this natural function might be proposed to exhibit how the world continues to operate despite the events of the front through demonstrating that natural processes continue, and therefore illustrate that there is life beyond the war. This concept would also receive contextual support, given how Kemmerich was an individual known to Paul for numerous years prior to the war, and how he is referred to as a human being rather than just another casualty in the fray. Therefore, combined, the darkness acts to segregate Bäumer from the reality of the war, whilst the wind serves as a physical reminder for the perpetuation of the world beyond the conflict, that life continues despite the terrible events that may be suffered by individuals or collectives, made pertinent here by the loss of a comrade whose existence extended back to the world before the war.

Yet, stimulation is also integral here. Darkness deprives us of our principal sense, essentially causing detachment to a certain degree through loss of contact with the visual world, upon which we are reliant. Wind, meanwhile, acts as a stimulus, provoking human response when exposed to it. Feeling, as Paul does in the extract, is therefore an undeniably human response, which given the dehumanising indifference described by Remarque in the previous section, serves to suggest that Bäumer regains a proportion of humanity in his current position. Subsequently, this "...salvation..." might be that the combination of the darkness and the wind serve to restore a degree of humanness to Paul, separating him from the war momentarily and causing him to self-reflect, whilst simultaneously evoking a human response from him, together restoring his humanity through the replacement of apathy with a rediscovering of feeling. This concept is continued when Remarque describes how "...power...is streaming into [Bäumer]...", where "...streaming..." itself implies a flow, an unceasing influx of energy into his being, which evokes reaction through the release of inner desire, or a "...hunger..." which exceeds mere consumption.

Bäumer's "...hunger..." has further meaning, given that it can be perceived as a desire or requirement for nourishment. Yet equally, human beings have often referred to a spiritual, intellectual or political hunger, this concept that there is a prerequisite beyond the mere animalistic needs of subservient creations to achieve humanity, a compulsion for nourishment beyond the physical; therefore, this hunger experienced by Paul suggests that he has been deprived of this drive, this desire, which now returns to him due to this dual isolation and self-discovery that is the consequence of Kemmerich's death. In turn, one might infer that this is another demonstration of how Paul's humanity is temporarily restored, this concept that his internal reflection leads to a "...hunger..." for something greater than just mere self-sustainment, to fulfil these profundities and find purpose for his existence.