Death of a Hero (analysis of the extract from the novel)

The war cannot be justified by the progress that is being made and some glorious aims that are set in order to establish peace, save the national minorities, etc. As Voltair once said “:It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” Even though the war action is praised by the cheerful sounds of the victory parade the tone and the tune of the battle time is rather minor and full of remorse and absolute tragedy as it is showed in the extract from the novel “Death of A Hero” by Richard Aldington.

The story itself can be divided into 3 logical parts. First and foremost, there is a short description of the soldier’s evening routine when the relative peace is not being disturbed and he just goes to bed hoping to fall into a deep (epithet) sleep and wake up refreshed and full of energy.

But suddenly his sleeping has been disturbed and Winterbourne, the main character of the short story, was wide awake (epithet) and sat up out of the blue not being able to identify where he is located in. It seemed that due to three volcanoes and ten thunderstorms (metaphor) were in action and a terrific rumble (epithet) was the cause of their interrupted dreams and that predetermined the battle itself so it can be tagged as a build-up of the story on the whole. Since all of the soldiers had been awaken in the middle of the sound dreaming neither was time difficult to identify nor place was the orienteer of their actions. For sure, something had been happening but it was challenging to say whether they were to act “on earth or hell” (antithesis) since the subconscious part was dominating and all the soldiers were not fully awaken to see and comprehend the reality around them. The whole earth was shaking (hyperbole) as if beaten (simile) by a multitude (hyperbole) of flying hoofs (epithet and metaphor). Leving the cellar Winterbourne discovered that the whole sky was brilliant (epithet and methaphore) with hundreds of flashing lights (epithet) and again heaven and earth (anthithethis) were filled with the roar and flame (hyperbole).  When the main character was observing the horizons it was stated that the whole from was a dazzling flicker (methapore) of gun-flashes and it was as if giant hads covered with huge rings set with searchlights were being shaken in the darkness (similie and  methaphore) thus the author shows that the night battle itself was a colossal event and the scale of it was difficult to estimate and comprehend. The general pandemonium (hyperbole) at regular intervals (methaphore) was established and the chaotic atmosphere was the primary sign of all the actions being committed that cruel night.

The second logical part sets a description of the ruined village through which Winterbourne was running to his mortal destiny and it represents all the atrocities of war in a fair clear image while the first part was set in a subconscious and rather blurry way. The German lines where he headed to were a long (epithet) irregular wall of smoke (methaphore) torn everywhere with the dull red flashes (epithet) of bursting shells (another epithet). The climax itself was getting near since the artillery was flickering brighter and brighter as battery after battery (anadiplosis) came into action, making a crescendo (methaphore) of noise. Thus it can be observed that the structure of the story is being developed from the sedative pianissimo of soldier’s dreaming and not caring about anything than it comes to a sudden fortissimo by German bombardments and it is changing to crescendo as the soldiers are moving closer to the German troops and it is concluded by a strong fortissimo in the third logical part of the story.

Here, Aldington compares the battle and its immense power with the immense rhythmic harmony (epithet), a super-jazz of tremendous drums (methaphore and an epithet), a simile is used when it comes that “a ride of Walkyrie played by three thousand cannon (methaphore alike). The moachine guns were representin a minor motif of terror (methaphore). The chaos of sound projected on the scary faces of soldiers were showing that this tune was not a refreshing melody that would help to hand the battle with ease and assurance of victory but a chaotic minddropping mood set among all the participants of this horrible action was the main aspect that described everything to the slightest moment and the smallest detail of the battlefield.

All in all, the message of the extract is quite clear and comprehensible due to the top of war which is always about its terrible consequences and senseless violence. But all in all, the author tries hard to imply the aspect of music which can be set to any aspect of human life. While some tranquile tunes can describe the daily routine of peaceful life the chaotic symphony of piled sounds can be the most applicable methaphor towars all the acts of violens and wars as the author has shown.