The War Literature

World wars made a magnificent impact on society. This impact

developed a new approach of art, literature, philosophy and religion.
For literature, it created a new genre of it about the war. Therefore,
the wars had a big effect on the genre and style of novels that became
published. Most of what was published then was about the war and its
effects. Authors were disappointed by the experience of war and,
although they did not write directly about the war, their writing
reflects an anti-authoritarianism that derives from their experiences.
The Great War (1914-1918) and Literature : Central Powers
(Germany,
Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria) and Allies
Powers (Russia, France, Britain, Italy, and the United States)
“Masses of dead bodies strewn upon the ground, plumes of poison gas drifting
through the air, hundreds of miles of trenches infested with rats—these are
but some of the indelible images that have come to be associated with World
War I (1914-18). It was a war that unleashed death, loss, and suffering on an
unprecedented scale.” The Warfare that would result in the stagnation of the
conflict and drag it out as both the Allies and Central powers fought from
heavily fortified positions that neither side could seem to overcome, leading to
unprecedented slaughter with little, and often nothing, being gained. The
horrid conditions of the trenches and the seeming futility of combat.

The Great War, which took place between 1914-1918, shook the very
foundations of the Western world, causing a societal upheaval that left
immediate and lasting impressions on every aspect of society and culture.
Great Britain, as one of the primary belligerents of the conflict, was no
exception; and experienced a wave of social and artistic change as a direct
result of the war. One of the most heavily impacted cultural arenas to be
touched by the war was literature. Literature during the Great War often
reflects upon and bitingly criticizes the horrors of war, as well as the changes
society was undergoing and provides a drastic transition between pre and post
war work. Many social, political, and economic shifts occurred during the war,
and any of the writers of the time felt the need to speak out against the flaws
they saw in their society, sometimes even while fighting for their lives in the
trenches. The new style of war allowed soldiers an unprecedented amount of
time to ponder the battles which they fought; not only in the literal sense, but
battles of the mind and spirit which were of no shortage in the hellish
conditions that they endured. Literature became a common way for the British
soldiers to approach the reality of the war, whether to express dissent against
it, or to simply understand it.

Women and men alike turned to writing as a means of emotional outlet. Back
in Britain, the social order was being rocked by the war taking place across the
channel, with women becoming key economic supporters in the absence of
men and men suffering the physical and psychological stress of war. Women
were forced to adopt a role that was traditionally considered masculine, taking
on industrial work in factories in order to provide for their children, as well as
assuming a leading role in the maintenance of the family. As a result, many
women began to speak out, discussing their view on the war and the impact it
was placing on their families. Writers and poets of the Great War attempted to
distinguish how this war was different than anything the world had seen
before, both the manner in which it was fought and the changing attitude
toward the purpose of the conflict, and it was a task shared by all of society,
both those on the battlefield and back at home.

The Great War (1939-1945) and Literature :

World War II was fought between the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) and the
Allied Powers (Britain, United States, Soviet Union, France). Most of the countries in the
world were involved in some way. It was the deadliest war in all of human history with
around 70 million people killed.
The outbreak of war in 1939, as in 1914, brought to an end an era of great
intellectual and creative exuberance. Individuals were dispersed; the rationing
of paper affected the production of magazines and books; and the poem and
the short story, convenient forms for men under arms, became the favored
means of literary expression.
World War II ended in 1945 and its conclusion marked an important shift in
Great Britain’s global role. For the first time, Britain was a secondary imperial
power, something that was painful for many British citizens. The expectations
after the war were that the economy would again rise, but inflation and
unemployment led to an overall increase in national cynicism. Postmodernism
found most of its success in America and was difficult to identify in England,
as many Modernist writers continued to write well into the 1940s and 50s.
Postmodernism incorporates the idea that the world is in a state of
incompleteness. Postmodernists believe that there are many truths and that
knowledge comes from perspective. Stemming from this is the tendency for
Postmodernists to have a skeptical approach to culture, literature, and art,
often leading the movement to be associated with deconstructionism.
Although this approach can be found in some of the literature of the time, the
writing during this period was very diverse.
Magical Realism
One of the strongest influences of 1980’s fiction was the embracing of
magical realism, the concept in literature of accepting magic as a normal part
of everyday life. Angela Carter’s Nights at the Circus (1984) was an example
of this. The novel focuses on the life of Sophie Fevvers, a girl who claims to
have been hatched from an egg and who says she has wings. As she
continues to tell her story, it becomes more obvious that her narrative is a lie.
Another example of magical realism is Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s
Children (1981), a novel that follows India’s transition into an independent
country. It is told through the perspective of Saleem Sinai, who has
supernatural powers.
Post-Colonialism
Embracing some of the values from the Modernist period, there were several
non-English writers that were part of the British Postmodernist period. Most of
these writers came from previously colonized British territories and their
writing reflected this colonization. Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart
(1958) is set in the 1890’s and highlights the struggle for some Africans to
assimilate to the traditions of white colonists. Jean Rhys was born in the
British West Indies and her novel Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) also critically
looks at the colonization of natives. Her novel was intended to be a prequel to
Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre, and tells Bertha Mason’s side of the
story.
Children’s Literature
Children’s literature saw more contributions post-World War II. Roald Dahl
rose to success with his children’s fantasy novels including Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory (1964), The Witches (1983), and Matilda (1988). C.S.
Lewis was also prominent in the children’s fantasy genre and his seven-book
series The Chronicles of Narnia (1950-1956), are considered classics of
children’s literature. They are all set in Narnia, a fictional, magical realm. All of
the protagonists in the stories are children from the real world, transported to
Narnia to play important roles in its history. Most recently, J.K. Rowling’s
Harry Potter novels (1997-2007) have also tapped into the fantasy genre.
They center on a teenage wizard named Harry Potter who has been chosen
as the one to defeat the most evil wizard of them all, Lord Voldemort.
Rowling’s seven books take readers through Harry’s years at school as he
finds allies in Hermione and Ron and prepares for his eventual battle with the
Dark One.