The horrific circumstances in war, creates a sense of dehumanisation in soldiers that fought on the front.
The Marriam-Webster dictionary defines dehumanisation: as to treat someone as though he or she is not a human being. In this essay I will compare three different genres and connect them to a central theme of dehumanisation. The first genre I will discuss is the novel: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. The second genre is a poem: Suicide in the trenched by Siegfried Sassoon. Lastly I will discuss the art work: Mahlzeit in der Sappe by Otto Dix.
In the All quiet on the Western Front the theme of dehumanisation is present. According to Keenahan Debra (1990), dehumanisation is to be reduced in the consideration of others to be a thing that can be subjugated, dominated and controlled. The soldier are deprived of their humanity throughout different events at …show more content…
(Roberts, 2014:1). Sassoon wrote the book: Counter-Attack and other poem in 1918 in which the poem, Suicide on the trenches occurs (Sassoon, 1918:38). This poem brings forth the theme of dehumanisation through Sassoon’s diction, rhyme scheme and the tone of the poem. There is a definite rhyme scheme of AA; BB; CC in the poem. The rhyme scheme creates an image of soldier marching towards their death. Additionally the tone of the poem shifts form cheerful in stanza one to sombre in stanza two and three. The diction of the poem contributes to the melancholy tone in the poem, and this is evident through word like “dark’’ and “lark’’ (lines 3 and 4). Sassoon uses lines five and six: “In winter trenches, cowed and glum, With crumps and lice and lack of rum’’ (Sassoon, 1918:38), to illustrate the theme of dehumanisation. He outlines the cruel conditions that the men and boys were forced to live in while fighting in the war on the front lines with an immense lack of
The Marriam-Webster dictionary defines dehumanisation: as to treat someone as though he or she is not a human being. In this essay I will compare three different genres and connect them to a central theme of dehumanisation. The first genre I will discuss is the novel: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. The second genre is a poem: Suicide in the trenched by Siegfried Sassoon. Lastly I will discuss the art work: Mahlzeit in der Sappe by Otto Dix.
In the All quiet on the Western Front the theme of dehumanisation is present. According to Keenahan Debra (1990), dehumanisation is to be reduced in the consideration of others to be a thing that can be subjugated, dominated and controlled. The soldier are deprived of their humanity throughout different events at …show more content…
(Roberts, 2014:1). Sassoon wrote the book: Counter-Attack and other poem in 1918 in which the poem, Suicide on the trenches occurs (Sassoon, 1918:38). This poem brings forth the theme of dehumanisation through Sassoon’s diction, rhyme scheme and the tone of the poem. There is a definite rhyme scheme of AA; BB; CC in the poem. The rhyme scheme creates an image of soldier marching towards their death. Additionally the tone of the poem shifts form cheerful in stanza one to sombre in stanza two and three. The diction of the poem contributes to the melancholy tone in the poem, and this is evident through word like “dark’’ and “lark’’ (lines 3 and 4). Sassoon uses lines five and six: “In winter trenches, cowed and glum, With crumps and lice and lack of rum’’ (Sassoon, 1918:38), to illustrate the theme of dehumanisation. He outlines the cruel conditions that the men and boys were forced to live in while fighting in the war on the front lines with an immense lack of