it talks about Owen and Sasson while they were in Craiglockhart hospital, which helped explain why they have negative views of war. Also talks about the theme of mental illnesses suffered by soldiers during the war a lot.
Reading this at the moment, actually quite funny in places and really like Pat Barker's style of writing. Interesting to look at the poets' lives themselves. Also since it's set in a mental hospital it's a very good one to look at with the theme of mental illness.
This is good to read if you want to learn more about the war from perspectives of soldiers who are not active in the trenches at that specific point and hear about their life when they arrive back in the homefront. Also good to hear about the war from psychologists and doctors point of view and what they think about the consequences of war (such as mental and phsyical illness).
Just also started reading the second in the trilogy (the eye in the door) and this is of a similar nature to regeneration yet focus' a lot more on the character Billy Prior and his life outside the hospital alongside Dr Rivers and a few new characters.
When we were studying "munition wages" by Madeline Ida Bedford in "Scars upon my heart". It speaks about munition women workers or "munitionettes" and the point of view of a now independent, payed, working women. This reminded me of Regeneration, as Billy Prior (a patient at CraigLockhart) falls in love with a munitionette called Sarah Lumb. Their relationship however, is a difficult one. As although he admires her for her independence, he sometimes projects his resentment towards women and civilians towards her. Showing the anger that some of the soldiers may have towards the newly appointed women workers. Also that munition workers were called "canarys", Pat Barker mentions that Sarah has yellow skin, thus showing the physical ailments suffered from working in the munition factories. Sarah Lumb is portrayed as a women seeking independence rather than a patriotic figure, as she moves away from her job as a servant in a search for higher wages and more freedom. Sarah therefore grows independently throughout the novel as her wages increase. Her relationship with Prior proves that through her domination of their conversations she is not oppressed by men. We hear how Sarah "worked in a factory…making detonators. Twelve-hour shifts, six days a week, but she liked the work…and it was well paid. 'Fifty bob a week…[she] was earning ten bob before the war'". Her munitions job enabled her to earn the money she desired. Sarah's independence to earn a living on her own shows a significant growth of independence in many women during the war.
This book was entertaining to read and i agree with eden that its quite funny at parts - It highlights what some of the soldiers went through as a result of the war such as both physical and mental ilnesses and also talks about how owen and sasoon first met
I recognised that Alice in Wonderland is mentioned in both Journey's End and in the third book of the regeneration trilogy- The Ghost Road. In Journey's End, Osborne admits to reading Alice in Wonderland and this is portrayed as an escape from the realities of war. In The Ghost Road, Prior says "we're all mad here" which is a famous quote from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This was then continued on the following page in the novel when it mentioned Alice's changing body in size and form, depicting how soldiers change both physically and psychologically in war. I thought it was interesting how a childrens book has been mentioned in several war literature pieces, and the significance it has on the soldiers and their minds, and how the soldiers cope in war by allowing themselves to escape into a fictional idealistic world. When thinking about Alice in Wonderland we know that it is a story that can be read on a much darker level and so I think this contrasts well with the war, as on the outside it seems like a great experience and honour for your country yet once in the war you notice the horrible, deeper and darker issues such as the painful deaths and illness' and the horror and grief.
I just finished reading the trilogy and would recommend reading the 'eye in the door' and 'ghost road' after reading 'regeneration.' It really makes sense of the first book as they explore the childhoods of the characters to explain why they are the way they are. Good to read the last book aswell as it briefly explains the characters own endings instead of leaving their lifes on a cliffhanger. Once you have read 'regeneration' you are already familiar with a lot of the main characters and so it is easier to understand the books right from the beginning through knowing the characters already.
Just finished Strange Meeting by Susan Hill, can't seem to create own post though, so here are some useful quotes: "She was like the others. Understood nothing." "It was like meeting ghosts." "I've been trying to give it a point and a purpose when there are none." "You can't feel every man's death" "He helps us not to take it all for granted, to become too cynical. He has some quality we've been lacking..." "...pitying them their lack of privacy, the way they were always herded together, and yet envying them too, their carefully ordered life and clear. uninhibited friendships and enmities."
just finished reading Regeneration- was quite good, would recommend it!
ReplyDeleteit talks about Owen and Sasson while they were in Craiglockhart hospital, which helped explain why they have negative views of war. Also talks about the theme of mental illnesses suffered by soldiers during the war a lot.
ReplyDeleteReading this at the moment, actually quite funny in places and really like Pat Barker's style of writing. Interesting to look at the poets' lives themselves. Also since it's set in a mental hospital it's a very good one to look at with the theme of mental illness.
ReplyDeleteThis is good to read if you want to learn more about the war from perspectives of soldiers who are not active in the trenches at that specific point and hear about their life when they arrive back in the homefront.
ReplyDeleteAlso good to hear about the war from psychologists and doctors point of view and what they think about the consequences of war (such as mental and phsyical illness).
Just also started reading the second in the trilogy (the eye in the door) and this is of a similar nature to regeneration yet focus' a lot more on the character Billy Prior and his life outside the hospital alongside Dr Rivers and a few new characters.
Finished this now, really enjoyed it, reading "Strange Meeting" by Susan Hill now
ReplyDeleteWhen we were studying "munition wages" by Madeline Ida Bedford in "Scars upon my heart". It speaks about munition women workers or "munitionettes" and the point of view of a now independent, payed, working women. This reminded me of Regeneration, as Billy Prior (a patient at CraigLockhart) falls in love with a munitionette called Sarah Lumb. Their relationship however, is a difficult one. As although he admires her for her independence, he sometimes projects his resentment towards women and civilians towards her. Showing the anger that some of the soldiers may have towards the newly appointed women workers.
ReplyDeleteAlso that munition workers were called "canarys", Pat Barker mentions that Sarah has yellow skin, thus showing the physical ailments suffered from working in the munition factories.
Sarah Lumb is portrayed as a women seeking independence rather than a patriotic figure, as she moves away from her job as a servant in a search for higher wages and more freedom.
Sarah therefore grows independently throughout the novel as her wages increase. Her relationship with Prior proves that through her domination of their conversations she is not oppressed by men.
We hear how Sarah "worked in a factory…making detonators. Twelve-hour shifts, six days a week, but she liked the work…and it was well paid. 'Fifty bob a week…[she] was earning ten bob before the war'". Her munitions job enabled her to earn the money she desired.
Sarah's independence to earn a living on her own shows a significant growth of independence in many women during the war.
This book was entertaining to read and i agree with eden that its quite funny at parts - It highlights what some of the soldiers went through as a result of the war such as both physical and mental ilnesses and also talks about how owen and sasoon first met
ReplyDeleteI recognised that Alice in Wonderland is mentioned in both Journey's End and in the third book of the regeneration trilogy- The Ghost Road. In Journey's End, Osborne admits to reading Alice in Wonderland and this is portrayed as an escape from the realities of war. In The Ghost Road, Prior says "we're all mad here" which is a famous quote from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This was then continued on the following page in the novel when it mentioned Alice's changing body in size and form, depicting how soldiers change both physically and psychologically in war. I thought it was interesting how a childrens book has been mentioned in several war literature pieces, and the significance it has on the soldiers and their minds, and how the soldiers cope in war by allowing themselves to escape into a fictional idealistic world.
ReplyDeleteWhen thinking about Alice in Wonderland we know that it is a story that can be read on a much darker level and so I think this contrasts well with the war, as on the outside it seems like a great experience and honour for your country yet once in the war you notice the horrible, deeper and darker issues such as the painful deaths and illness' and the horror and grief.
I just finished reading the trilogy and would recommend reading the 'eye in the door' and 'ghost road' after reading 'regeneration.' It really makes sense of the first book as they explore the childhoods of the characters to explain why they are the way they are. Good to read the last book aswell as it briefly explains the characters own endings instead of leaving their lifes on a cliffhanger.
ReplyDeleteOnce you have read 'regeneration' you are already familiar with a lot of the main characters and so it is easier to understand the books right from the beginning through knowing the characters already.
Just finished Strange Meeting by Susan Hill, can't seem to create own post though, so here are some useful quotes:
ReplyDelete"She was like the others. Understood nothing."
"It was like meeting ghosts."
"I've been trying to give it a point and a purpose when there are none."
"You can't feel every man's death"
"He helps us not to take it all for granted, to become too cynical. He has some quality we've been lacking..."
"...pitying them their lack of privacy, the way they were always herded together, and yet envying them too, their carefully ordered life and clear. uninhibited friendships and enmities."