Critical Analysis of "The Machine Gunners"
Uploaded by sls465 on Apr 18, 2007
Critical Analysis of "The Machine Gunners"
Robert Westall’s The Machine Gunners has an exciting storyline but it is the aspects of the novel, such as its characters, themes and language, which captures and maintains the readers attention. Hence, the novel highlights the experiences and their effect upon juveniles in Britain during the Second World War. This is clearly seen through the novel’s protagonist, Chas, who undergoes changes in his personality, thoughts and feelings as the experiences bring maturity. With the backdrop of the Second World War looming over the entire novel, Westall is able to highlight the futility of war and the reality of human nature in war – as violence brings forth more violence.
Set in a northeast seaside town (London) in 1940, The Machine Gunners tells the story of a group of teenagers growing up and learning the human cost of war and what it is really all about when they find a machine gun from a crashed German plane. Westall shows how the environment of war has a dramatic impact upon the lives of children, as the violence of war is imitated by the children on other children. There is an escalation of gang groups- each desiring to be the best gang. Consequently, there is violence where bullies dominate and their victims suffer. More importantly, parents are unable to curb the situation because they have lost control of their children. They remain ignorant to what is actually going on with their children. This is seen through Chas and his family’ s relationship, where Chas realizes his parents are helpless in the war and that they could not have done anything to help the war effort, “ He looked at his father, and saw a weary, helpless middle- aged man. Dad wasn’t any kind of God any more.” Consequently, Chas no longer looks up to his parents and does want to listen to them anymore; Hence, it is clear that while the war against the Germans continues, a smaller war is being fought among the children; this clearly shows the wartime surroundings have impacted the lives of teenagers, ‘This war’s doing bad things to kids.’
Chas and his group unearth a German Machine gun along with 200 rounds of live bullets from a crashed Heinkel airplane. Their wartime antipathy towards their enemy is shown by their desire to have a chance to take revenge on...