Impact of the Great War on Western Literature

Uploaded by : Essays-Now.com

A 4 page essay that discusses the impact of the “Great War,” that is, World War I on Western literature. World War I is known for its “mindless squandering of human life with negligible results” (Hull 17). During its era, it was known as the Great War, the war to end all wars, as well as the war that would make the world “safe” for democracy. The Great War accomplished none of these purposes and, when it was over, the survivors were gripped by grief, guilt, rage and, in the case of one German lance corporal, a young man named Adolf Hitler, by the desire for revenge (Hull 17). The Great War had another significant effect in that it had a tremendous impact on the course of modern Western literature. The collective consciousness of both Europe and America was forever changed by World War I and this change was reflected in the literature produced both during the Great War and in the decades afterward. Bibliography lists 4 sources.