Testament of Youth

Submitted by Ashley Brown on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 22:15

Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth provides vivid detail of what truly occurred during WWI, not only the war itself, but the physical and emotional effects it had on the populous. Testament of Youth attempts to retell the story of losing entire generations during the relatively short span of WWI. I found the readings very moving and at sometimes almost infuriating. Brittain did an excellent job at recreating the rapid change that occurred during this period, the rush and pressure of new technology, and the brewing of revolution.

Many people associate youth with life, having ‘all the time in the world’, being worry free, and optimism. It must have been eye-opening for the youth during the time to have been surrounded by such a multitude of death. In some cases, everyone they once knew was dead and soon they would be too. Many of the men fighting found no glory or honor in their victories. They were fighting a battle that lacked any real purpose; they were as disposable as the weapons they held. Those who did return home brought with them physical scars as well as psychological; they were hollow shells of men. 

Ashley Brown

Comments

Victoria McGouran

Tue, 01/29/2013 - 00:14

One of the most astounding things for me in reading this book was noticing the loss of what was essentially an entire generation. I think your take on that facet of her book was spot on and I enjoyed reading your allusion to "The Waste Land" with the "hollow shells of men" reference.

Elizabeth Hartney

Tue, 01/29/2013 - 01:09

Your post made me think about how silly the beginning section seems because Vera and everyone around her seem to think that they are going to help those who are dying without actually dying themselves. It seems to me like she realizes through her nursing experience that death is random and can come at any point in time, and this is when she has her fight with Roland. When faced with the length of the war and all the death she experiences, she seems to lose a lot of her resolve.