Journey's End context Flashcards
In what context does Journeys End take place?
In a front line dug out during the four days before the onslaught of the German Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918.
What regiment did R. C Sherriff serve in?
he served as a captain in the 9th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment and was recipient of The Military Cross.
He saw active service over 10 months
Why did he get sent home?
Wounded in the Third Battle of Ypres from an exploding shell- the medics removed over 50 pieces of concrete from his face and body.
He was at home during the events portrayed in the play whilst his regiment suffered heavy casualties.
What was the dilemma that commanders faced when launching a raid?
raids caused inevitable casualties yet they were essential in gaining intelligence relating to the attack.
What was the scale of the attack like?
Colossal- within the first day of the attack, the British had lost 7,512 dead and 10,000 wounded.
Across the whole attack they lost nearly 255,000 men.
How did Sherriff feel about the characters he created in Journeys End?
Sherriff felt he didn’t have to write it all as the characters just walked out on to the page.
he was writing about “men he had lived with and knew so well that every line they spoke came straight from them and not from me”
Why was it such a major success?
the public had never been shown before how men really lived in the trenches, how they talked and how they behaved. Old soldiers recognised themselves, women recognised their sons, brothers and husbands.
What did Sherriff describe his characters as?
“simple, unquestioning men who fought the war because it seemed the only right and proper thing to do”
What did Wilfred Owen say in the preface to his poem anthology?
“This book is not about heroes… Nor is it about deeds or lands, nor anything about glory, honour, dominion or power,
Except war”
How are Owen and Sherriff similar yet very different?
Owen witnessed many of the same kinds of horrors that Sherrif did, but the anger , frustration and tragic injustice which characterise Owen’s work is much harder to find within Sherriff’s. Journeys End refuses to comment or take up any position.
