Stress in R.C. Sherriffs Journeys End Essay -- Journeys End Essays

World war I broke out in 1914 and lasted until 1918 when the armistice was signed. Throughout this period great destruction was suffered across the world and in particular in 1918 when the German army was preparing a massive attack against the allies. 'Journey's End' was written by R.C.Sherriff in 1928. It is set in the British trenches a few days before the expected attack and Sherriff re-creates the moments leading up to it. This drama is based upon Sherriff's real-life experiences as he himself was a captain of the East-Surrey regiment and played a part in the First World War. Sherriff's understanding of the relationships between men and the morale of soldiers living in the confines of the trenches are portrayed through the characters features in the play. Sherriff's purpose when writing the play may have been to celebrate the ten year anniversary as there were floods of memoirs, poems and reminiscences coming out around this time, however he may have more importantly wanted to ensure that war doesn't break out again by illustrating the pain and hopelessness he endured at was to convince his audience. 'Journey's End' gives the reader/audience a clear insight into the reality of life at war and explores the harsh conditions experienced by the men/officers at the front line. Despite Sherriff's ability to re-create the soldiers lives, staging the play is a main difficulty in which many things would need to be considered before-hand such as the audience he is targeting, sound, lighting and props. It is vital that what happens on stage is realistic to the audience so that their interpretations of trench conditions is genuine. He would also need to make things realistic as he may well find that ex s... ...ers died when the trench collapsed including Raleigh however we are still unsure about what happened to Stanhope, Hibbert or trotter. The death of Raleigh's character symbolises the appalling waste of lives during World War 1 but it also has an intense moving effect on the audience. We had warmed to him at the beginning of the play because of his eagerness and excitement however he never realised the full extent of war until the raid. I think that Sherriff's message was to show people the effects of war on soldier's minds. Stanhope's character was a prime example of this as he was psychologically damaged by the effects of war. I also feel that Sherriff had a hidden message of wanting to convey the full scale horror of war, both physically and mentally. A small disagreement between two countries or two opposing sides can result in a massive loss of life.