Explore How the Protagonists in “Journey’s End�? and “the Accrington Pals�? Are Affected by War Essay Example
The Great War lasted four years and changed the whole world and so I shall be looking at how R. C.
Sherriff and Peter Whelan developed the protagonists in their plays to reflect the impact the war had, not just on the world, but also on the individuals involved in war. May Hassle and Dennis Stanhope were clearly affected greatly by war; May, by what the war took from her, Tom; and Stanhope, by what the war gave him.
All throughout the war May’s change of character becomes more and more apparent, finally ending with her having a hallucination. This is used to really emphasise how much she has changed and how the horrors of war doesn’t just affect those fighting, but those at home also. The main factor that affects May is Tom’s absence and, after war, his death. After Tom leaves we can see her needing the comfort of another person, this person is Eva, shown when she says “It shouldn’t be thrust on you like this. I’m very sorry for it.” to which May replies “No… I’d be glad of your help.” May needs Eva to help fill the gap that Tom left. This is further supported at the end of the play where Eva leaves and May turns to Reggie for support “Oh, those are good onions. You have done well. I shall have to start paying you more.” She complements his work and offers him a reward for it, the extra pay. This is to try and persuade Reggie to stay. May doesn’t really care for the work, she could do it herself, but she needs Reggie there as support and to replace Tom and Eva. Before the war however, May is a strong, independent woman, often called a tartar even by herself “I am a bit of a tartar, you’ll find. You have to be round here.” The fact that May admits herself to be a tartar also tells the audience that she doesn’t care what others think. In many war poems, (such as Tipperary Days where it mentions the women throwing the men “flowers and kisses” thus suggesting that that is all they can give and also their naivety in how they think these would help) women are
Sherriff and Peter Whelan developed the protagonists in their plays to reflect the impact the war had, not just on the world, but also on the individuals involved in war. May Hassle and Dennis Stanhope were clearly affected greatly by war; May, by what the war took from her, Tom; and Stanhope, by what the war gave him.
All throughout the war May’s change of character becomes more and more apparent, finally ending with her having a hallucination. This is used to really emphasise how much she has changed and how the horrors of war doesn’t just affect those fighting, but those at home also. The main factor that affects May is Tom’s absence and, after war, his death. After Tom leaves we can see her needing the comfort of another person, this person is Eva, shown when she says “It shouldn’t be thrust on you like this. I’m very sorry for it.” to which May replies “No… I’d be glad of your help.” May needs Eva to help fill the gap that Tom left. This is further supported at the end of the play where Eva leaves and May turns to Reggie for support “Oh, those are good onions. You have done well. I shall have to start paying you more.” She complements his work and offers him a reward for it, the extra pay. This is to try and persuade Reggie to stay. May doesn’t really care for the work, she could do it herself, but she needs Reggie there as support and to replace Tom and Eva. Before the war however, May is a strong, independent woman, often called a tartar even by herself “I am a bit of a tartar, you’ll find. You have to be round here.” The fact that May admits herself to be a tartar also tells the audience that she doesn’t care what others think. In many war poems, (such as Tipperary Days where it mentions the women throwing the men “flowers and kisses” thus suggesting that that is all they can give and also their naivety in how they think these would help) women are