NAME: STEPHANIE PRATEEKSHA

TOPPO

CLASS: XII

SECTION: S

ROLL NO: 35

UNIQUE ID: 7648717

ISC ENGLISH LITERATURE FINAL TERM

PROJECT 2023–2024
TOPIC:
Question 2.
With close reference to John Brown, discuss the poem as
a critique on war and the relevance of the theme to the
current war in the world today. Also reflect on how wars
affect human lives and the environment.
John Brown is a fascinating anti-war poetry which describes the horrors
of war. It depicts the ease with which young men find themselves
trapped in one. The idea of being a hero in the battlefield is both enticing
and lethal. Heroism in often driven by a false sense of bravado and
machismo. It drives men to a place where they find themselves “a-tryin
kill somebody or die tryin“. By then it is too late. And they find that all
the power and glory is nothing more than political puppetry. The strings
of which are controlled by powerful, interested players. This aspect is
further explored in the summary and analysis of John Brown in the
section.
John Brown uses everyday diction to question the ideas of war, honour
and masculinity. He illustrates what happens when people go to fight a
‘good old fashioned war‘.
This song begins with a certain John Brown going off to fight “a war on
a foreign shore“. The name of the place of battle isn’t known and is not
quite necessary either. A war is a war, anywhere. Brown’s mother is
happy to watch her son hold a gun. She wants him to bring home some
medals which they can display on the wall when he returns.
That she is sure of his return could be indicative of her motherly
optimism or a complete ignorance of the realities of war. It is only when
we reach the end that we realise it is the latter. The idea of ‘glory’ and
it's representation through the medal in the mind of the mother is
apparent in the beginning of the song. We must remember when the
soldier mentions the medal in the end against the idea of ‘glory’ and its
physical embodiment it seems nothing more than a piece of metal.
The son decides to fight the good old-fashioned war while his mother
goes around telling everyone of her brave son. The glorification of war
and valour is evident in her treatment of the letter her son sends her. She
treats it as a means of personal communication and also as a sign of her
son’s valour and sacrifice – his red badge of courage. The letters cease
to come and when she gets the message that her son has eventually
returned, she rushes to meet him. At first she doesn’t see her son (the
readers know why) and is hardly able to believe her eyes when she does.
The brutality of the war is all too evident. Dylan does not stop from
providing the horrific picture of a son whose “face is all blown up” and
whose “hand is all blown off” and who has to wear a metal brace around
his waist. The unbearable effects of the war and the lasting
consequences of it is a sad reality which many war veterans have to deal
with daily at the end of a war. By the time John Brown returns, he has
become a different man. He is totally disappointed by the idea of
heroism. He can barely move his mouth and his mother can barely
recognise him. What follows next is the denunciation of the idea of glory
by the very person who overvalued the same.
The soldier recounts the brutality of the war where parents send off their
children, not comprehending its cost. Far from being a ground for glory,
it turns out to be hell where people are continuously “tryin to kill
somebody or die trying“. Above all, it is the rending away of humanity
which is the most brutal component of war as it denies the humanity of
the very people involved in it which is expressed by the narrator.
The soldiers are mere puppets following orders and therefore come
home maimed, blinded and destroyed. Some do not even return. The
idea of brilliance and valor are simply hollow words which act as
ammunition for the cannons.
His mother finally wakes to the pain and dreadfulness of the shocking
realities of war when she sees her son unable to stand without the aid of
the waist brace. She sees no glory, no bravery, only devastation.
However, as he walks away, he turns to his mother and drops into her
hand all that the war was worth, some piece of metal. By the end of the
narrative, he is no longer the John Brown we first met. The first line is
the only place where his name is explicitly mentioned. In the end, he is
just another disabled soldier who has been destroyed by the gruesome
system and is nothing more than a damaged good. The compensation is
just a piece of metal to hang on your wall as a useless showpiece.
Bob Dylan is renowned for his thought-provoking and socially
conscious ballads, and “John Brown” is a great example. It was released
in 1963 on his album “The Times They Are a-Changin’. This powerful
folk song explores the harsh truth of war and the destructive impact it
has on people and society in general. At its core, “John Brown” is a
reflection on the suffering and sacrifice brought about by war. The song
echoes the same story that patriotic young soldiers feel today who go off
to war. They too return home broken both physically and emotionally.
Dylan’s documenting of the physical and mental trauma describes every
situation of the modern day war and times. The vivid picture of the
horrors of war, showcase the emotional devastation experienced by
those who fight in it.
Also the disillusionment that can occur when individuals realize the true
nature of war was and is the same today. The dreadful cost faced by
soldiers, such as loss of limbs and mental trauma, starkly contrasts the
romanticized image of war popularised by society. A firm nationalist
Subhash Chandra Bose, contributed immensely to India’s struggle
against the English. His motives were only for the right reasons, going to
war was never an answer. While not much can be accomplished by
protests alone, at the same time bloodshed proves to be unsuccessful;
which made his ideology, though smart, but a double-edged sword.
Even today, we must contemplate the high cost of conflict and
challenge the prevailing narratives surrounding war. The vivid imagery
and the harsh realities of war, immerses us in the character’s plight and
invites empathy; it is the exact same in today’s scenario.
The poetry centers on a single soldier, humanizing the harsh realities of
war and emphasizing the individual toll it takes. This approach allows
readers to connect on a personal level and empathize with the character’s
suffering, further intensifying the song’s emotional impact.

Dylan challenges common ideas of war by focusing on the physical and

emotional damage it causes on individuals, undermining the exaltation
often credited to armed conflict. Through his critique, he encourages
listeners to inspect and question the principles and narratives
surrounding war.

“John Brown” is a timeless protest song that keeps on resonating

listeners. Its powerful portrayal of the human cost of war serves as a
poignant reminder of the need to question and challenge the narratives
surrounding armed conflict in today’s context. A powerful anti-war
anthem continues to raise anti-establishment sentiment and protests
against involvement by all in wars across nations and questioning the
need as well as morality of armed conflict. “John Brown” continues to
echo with audiences today. Its exploration of the human fee of war and
its critique of societal narratives surrounding armed conflict remain
relevant in the face of ongoing global conflicts.