Evaluate how Rebecca West uses language to explore the contemporary cultural divide between the aristocracy and the poor
Evaluate how Rebecca West uses language to explore the contemporary cultural divide between the aristocracy and the poor
Prior to the commencement of the First World War, Britain, along with other European countries lived in an age known as the ‘Belle Époque’: a period characterised by optimism, peace at home and in Europe, new technology and scientific discoveries. However, this period of buoyancy was prematurely terminated when War broke out in 1914; leading to the social upheaval of the class system, as men entered battle with their social foe against foreign powers. The presence of social class tensions is a key theme in the novella, as Kitty and Margaret are presented as the social opposites of one another: the former being neoclassical in her outlook, revolving around the "proper forms" of an upper-class performance, where as the latter is a character cast in strong contrast with Kitty, who appears to be a worn out working-class woman.
The limited and changeable narrator in The Return of the Soldier is Jenny, Chris’ cousin. Bewilderment and uncertainty are present in most of the novella, especially in how Chris’ shell shock displaces him, and subsequently the reader, during his story telling. As the narrator, Jenny's sympathies and attention frequently change, yet rather than focusing of Chris’ war trauma, West utilises a limited point of view and a non-linear narration in the form of Jenny, whose attention switches from Kitty to Margaret. This shifting narration makes the novella more about the women and less about Chris; highlighting West’s, and many women’s, lack of experience and knowledge of warfare at the time. However, Chris’ solitary state, which is exasperated by the unfamiliarity of his surroundings, upon his return to Baldry Court can be seen by his frequent activity of rowing, which Jenny describes as “a boy’s sport”. This highlights Chris’ isolation caused by the alien environment of Baldry Court, as well as, arguably, his rebellion
Prior to the commencement of the First World War, Britain, along with other European countries lived in an age known as the ‘Belle Époque’: a period characterised by optimism, peace at home and in Europe, new technology and scientific discoveries. However, this period of buoyancy was prematurely terminated when War broke out in 1914; leading to the social upheaval of the class system, as men entered battle with their social foe against foreign powers. The presence of social class tensions is a key theme in the novella, as Kitty and Margaret are presented as the social opposites of one another: the former being neoclassical in her outlook, revolving around the "proper forms" of an upper-class performance, where as the latter is a character cast in strong contrast with Kitty, who appears to be a worn out working-class woman.
The limited and changeable narrator in The Return of the Soldier is Jenny, Chris’ cousin. Bewilderment and uncertainty are present in most of the novella, especially in how Chris’ shell shock displaces him, and subsequently the reader, during his story telling. As the narrator, Jenny's sympathies and attention frequently change, yet rather than focusing of Chris’ war trauma, West utilises a limited point of view and a non-linear narration in the form of Jenny, whose attention switches from Kitty to Margaret. This shifting narration makes the novella more about the women and less about Chris; highlighting West’s, and many women’s, lack of experience and knowledge of warfare at the time. However, Chris’ solitary state, which is exasperated by the unfamiliarity of his surroundings, upon his return to Baldry Court can be seen by his frequent activity of rowing, which Jenny describes as “a boy’s sport”. This highlights Chris’ isolation caused by the alien environment of Baldry Court, as well as, arguably, his rebellion