Journeys End Themes

In the play Journeys end we depict a number of themes and see how each one slowly intertwines with the other. Journeys end has a huge theme of comradeship which in turn effects how we (as the readers) perceive each character and their individuality as well as the hardships of war and how soldiers were used to coping, which runs throughout the play. From the beginning when Raleigh first meets Osborne to the very end where Stanhope is trying his best to save Raleigh, we are aware of how each of the soldiers are able to guide each other in coping with the war and even looking after each other.
Life in the trenches was already difficult enough but now we are able to view how soldiers such as Stanhope, Trotter and Mason dealt with their issues of war. For example, Stanhope’s coping mechanism was alcohol, in almost every act we are seeing how the progression of Stanhope’s alcoholism gradually escalates and eventually we see him stare at reality and barely come out fighting due to ‘Uncles’ precocious death.
Osborne is a character of few words, he is older and significantly mature than most of the other soldiers. In act 1 when Osborne puts Stanhope to bed, Osborne’s character is projected as some sort of father figure to Stanhope. We acknowledge this when Stanhope is ‘comfortable’ and says “Dear old uncle. Tuck me up.” Like a child with his father Sherriff makes the relationship between Stanhope and Osborne a simple yet effective one, this strongly relates to the theme of comradeship presenting how fellow soldiers took care of one another and saw through any hardships together.
However, throughout the play we then see how the relationship grows stronger and stronger to the point where each of the characters are able to confide in each other until, the untimely death of Osborne killed by ‘the boche’ on a raid. Raleigh is able to return to the trench but, it’s not Raleigh that Stanhope wanted to see. In act 3 scene 1 the death of Osborne is a shock to almost everyone; but