Summary Of Louisa Thomas's Conscience

Improved Essays
Louisa Thomas, the author of Conscience: Two Soldiers, Two Pacifists, One Family — A Test of Will and Faith in World War I, paints a picture of the way World War I created conflict not only across a nation, but within a family, and individuals as well. This conflict forever alters the lives of those involved, this story is just a small glimpse into what millions experienced and will continue to experience with tragedies similar to this. She tells the story of the four Thomas brothers whose consciences she explores: Norman, Ralph, Evan, and Arthur. Ms.Thomas is the great-granddaughter of Norman Thomas, the most public of the brothers as a six-time candidate for president of the United States on the Socialist Party ticket. Norman Thomas proves to be the focus of the book.
Ms.Thomas depicts a tale that revolves around World War I, the events leading up to the United States’ involvement in the conflict and the impact on the Thomas family. The Thomas brothers share some traits, but in other ways are quite different. As the Thomas brothers, grew up in a culture that promoted religious thinking, education and
…show more content…
These changes that occur can and will often result in broken bonds and lost connections, as people are divided. Ms.Thomas depicts the broken bonds between the Thomas brothers that emerged as a result of differing views. She also illustrates the internal conflict faced by Norman Thomas in great detail, along with insight into Evan and Ralph’s internal conflicts. Conflicting ideology whether it be between different people or an individual results in a forced change. This change may be the dissolution of a relationship with an individual, a change in ideology, or a compromise. In any situation this change is forced by the growing divide due to differences, on some occasions, this may be a good thing and on other, it may result in

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    World War II is frequently labeled the ‘Good War,’ as it is characterized as one of the few wars in history that is justified by a majority of the world. Throughout the entirety of the war, the Allied forces worked to defeat the nefarious Axis powers. Paul Fussell’s book The Boys’ Crusades exhibits the truth about World War II, and it shows the harsh reality of combat. Young servicemen in America risked their lives in battle, and while they are respected for their work, few people understand the brutality they endure. The Boys’ Crusades argues that the brutality of war must be understood by the public, and as a result of the harshness of combat, World War II cannot be classified as the ‘Good War.’…

    • 718 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche believed, “[f]amily love is messy, clinging, and of an annoying and repetitive pattern, like bad wallpaper.” This ‘bad wallpaper’ perfectly describes the family dynamic created in Bernice Frieson’s short story, “Brother Dear.” Consequently, the family of the protagonist, aside from her brother, can be classified as the antagonists of the story. Sharlene, the protagonist, and her older brother Greg both have differing aspirations; however, they both face a similar obstacle in the way of their goals, their family. It is not a single member of their family that presents these challenges, but rather all of them in dissimilar ways.…

    • 2137 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    World War I was a conflict that claimed the lives of millions of soldiers and altered the lives of countless others. Shortly after the War, two novels surfaced, Generals Die In Bed by Charles Yale Harrison and All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, that became influential in our understanding of how the soldiers lived. Each novel provides a firsthand account from a soldier’s point of view on one of the most brutal wars ever to have been fought. The novels portray war without the common popular veils of patriotism and heroism. General Douglas MacArthur stated “The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war”.…

    • 1533 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Louisa Thomas’ book Conscience detailing the lives of her relatives leading up to and during World War I is a tale which reveals the effects that war and a changing era have on faith, loyalty, and a person’s conscience. While the plot is told in relation to the life of Norman Thomas, a man who began the war as a minister and ended it as a socialist and pacifist, the other characters are integral in relaying the central themes. Throughout the book, the reader can follow Norman Thomas’ changing point of view, the fluidity of his conscience in action.…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Each family has their differences. No family is perfect. There comes a time in each family’s lives when their differences can set them aside and even start to pull them apart. It always seems there is one person who can help keep them together. However, when that one person is no longer with us, it takes a toll and soon things start to spiral more and more out of control.…

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Environmental Circumstances in the Scope of Wes Moore The Other Wes Moore is a book about how decisions can end up shaping the rest of your life. Moore illustrated this concept by telling the story of two people who were in nearly identical circumstances. In this story Moore uses important decisions as a device to show how their lives diverged into nearly opposite outcomes. In Moore’s story the outcome was due to a supportive family, a noble ideal of respect, and the clash of two very different worlds.…

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    A Toxic Friendship Affects People Has anyone ever stopped to think about how a toxic friendship can affect a person either in a positive or negative way? In the book A Separate Peace, John Knowles states that the narrator, Gene, returns to his hometown, to visit his old school, Devon. Including the tree that him and his friend used to jump off to the river. Gene then informs the reader about when he was friends with Finny as to how Finny’s life came to an end.…

    • 1476 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    A Broken Puzzle “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change” (Shelley). The two stories “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich and “The Brothers” by Lysley Tenorio demonstrates that a sudden change can turn a lifetime of memories into betrayals, In “The Red Convertible,” the brothers Henry and Lyman has a strong bond filled with amusement and adoration but disintegrates as a result of an unexpected event that happens to Henry. In comparison, in “The Brothers,” the brother Eric who later becomes Erica, reveals to the world on national television his change in identity. This event shocks his mother and brother Edmond, causing their familiarity to drift apart.…

    • 1164 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    My parents value education and they know that in other to have a better future, the first step is having an education. My mom would say that “working at McDonalds would not help pay the bills, put food on the table, and do everything that you want to. You have to go to school. You don’t want to live paycheck to paycheck for the rest of your life.” My parents’ values and beliefs help me choose the path that I’m on now.…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Myth of Individualism draws readers in with a captivating introduction through a controversial story about an individualist who kills to prove a point. This became a constant throughout the book, having examples used from topics that related to pop culture, politics and historical events to say the American values of individualism, mediocrity and self-sufficiency is overall fabricated. Therefore, American values are effected by the social structures on our lives which prove to be the thesis for Callero’s book. The book offers a weak first chapter with a strong fourth chapter that all fits into the message of Callero’s bestselling book. Callero’s book offered a first chapter that was the weakest out of the 214 paged body of work.…

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    War has been a constant part of human history. Whether it was World War I or World War II, war has greatly affected all aspects of life. Soldiers, families, countries, and societies, have all suffered through these times. Ultimately, the effects of war are extremely detrimental. Timothy Findley’s masterpiece The Wars portrays the detrimental effects of war and how these effects are endured on a personal level, familial level, and a communal level.…

    • 1571 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Though the effects that the war has on the characters and how the characters react to said changes is truly what makes up each individual character. Many challenges were faced but a select few greatly impacted the characters. In The Wars, Timothy Findley has created a vivid atmosphere in which the characters must surrender to change due to the loss of innocence, the enforcement of gender roles, and the inevitable insanity the characters…

    • 1478 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Imagine what it would be like to live during a world war, and the internal and external conflicts one must face because of it. In the book A Separate Peace by John Knowles, The boys at the Devon school deal with war in their everyday lives. Both of the characters Leper and Finny are forced to face the reality of world war II in different ways. Leper and Finny’s experiences with war impact each significantly, although both result in a major loss of innocence. Leper’s naivety about what it would be like to enlist was the beginning of his downfall.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This coincides with the conflict between adults and children to make up a large portion of the…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    When they finally break away from those identities, conflicts arise. These new battles ultimately end in calamity. The characters in…

    • 1481 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays