The influences of literature movements: How does war impact themes through American literature? By Sophia Parmele

By Sophia Parmele

Due to their devastating and destructive nature, wars often significantly influence literature due to authors responding and reflecting on the historical consequences that wars present. Because literature is a direct representation of expression, during tumultuous periods, there is often an influx of creative processes that follow with authors providing readers with deeper understanding of the consequences of war as well as the moral dilemmas associated with warfare. Although there are hundreds of wars that could be discussed, this article will focus on the impacts of World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War on themes through American literature.

World War I

Many authors found inspiration from World War I which is reflected in literature due to the sense of disillusionment and disruption of traditional gender roles. Although many early works glorified the war to young soldiers to encourage them to enlist, many saw it as their duty to reflect the realities of war, spawning darker reflection through their work. Additionally, once faced with the horrors of the war, many soldiers in the trenches wrote poems as a way to alleviate their stress and fear. Many of these poems were turned into songs which were sung by the soldiers to create a sense of community with one another. The tone of these poems were often bitter due to the mistreatment of soldiers by higher ranking officials, certain death and miseries of war. However, sometimes poems were humorous and witty to uplift morale. Writing became an outlet for emotions that couldn’t be spoken aloud such as longing for home, lack of personal support for the war, and general annoyances. 

Another impact on the expression in literature was due to the disruption of traditional gender roles. Due to the absence of men, women stepped up in many jobs that men stereotypically did which created a new image of the women worker. This change, although temporary, helped women gain suffrage in the future. Women were emotionally affected during the war so this lended itself to using writing as a means of expressing feelings in such drastic situations and pivotal part in gender equality. 

World War II

Due to the widespread suffering and displacement as well as cultural tragedies such as the holocaust during World War II, this led to an exploration of morality and ethics which is showcased through the literature during this time. For example, Anne Frank’s diary was a powerful account of the horrors experienced during the holocaust and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of oppression while authors such as Kurt Vonnegut highlighted the senselessness of war and the trauma it inflicts on the human psyche.

Another significant development was the emergence of the Beat Generation who rejected mainstream culture. In America, this generation sought to explore often taboo topics such as drugs, sexuality and spirituality. Additionally, many American writers true the atrocities of war began to question ideals of disillusionment such as the American Dream and an alienation from mainstream society. 

Vietnam War

U.S. involvement during the war was a governmental decision that deeply divided American society. Many were opposed to the war due to the nature of war in of itself while others argued about its necessity in preventing communism/totalitarianism. This led to literature representing the true horrors of war. Unlike other the works of other wars that redirect attention towards other topics such as love and family while including the impacts of war, many have described the literature of the Vietnam war as having too much realism where the main focus is discussing the tragedies of war with little to no relief from more easily digestible topics.

However, literature heavily focused on realism is not as present in later novels of the war such as The Naked and the Dead, Catch-22 and From Here to Eternity where the use of humor, irony and self-mockery is used to explore the heavy topics of war which relieves the readers from being completely immersed in the fearful horrors that wars often present.

Conclusion

In conclusion, due to the devastating nature that wars present, they often explore themes specific to wars in general as well as themes in the social and political context that are unique to each war. 

Sources:

https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/the-first-world-war-and-literature/

https://www.history.com/news/how-world-war-i-changed-literature

https://www.educationjournal.info/article/110/3-1-24-824.pdf

https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/literature-and-the-vietnam-war/

https://medium.com/@arp3348/the-impact-of-war-on-literature-00b0e369afa9