How does Faulks presentation of Death and its impact on soldiers influence your understanding of Birdsong?
… the impact of death on soldiers clear. Faulks throughout presents death violently and horrifically; attempting to give the reader insight into the conditions endured by the soldiers of world war one. Faulks presents the difficulty in creating close relationships with the men, as constant death meant that bonds created could easily be broken. Even though comradeship would have been necessary for the men to begin to cope with the war, Faulks presents through the perspective of Jack Firebrace the notion that he did not, ‘want to love one more than the next,’ showing the fear men felt that in creating bonds with others, they would be emotionally hurt if they had to endure the loss of their friends. Faulks also presents death as a way of soldiers losing their identity. In joining the army, men believed they would become heroes, however mass death meant that soldiers could not be mourned …
