War (Panorama-Lesson 2)

War

Luigi Pirandello was a dramatist, novelist, poet and short story writer. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1934. He studied philosophy and worked as a professor. His greatest contribution is considered to be his large number of plays. They are all concerned with the question of identity and relation of self with the others.

Comprehension Questions

1.      Why was the woman who entered the carriage upset?

A.    The woman has a son to whom she and her husband have devoted their life. They even left their home in village and moved to Rome for their son's education. Later, he was sent to volunteer for war. Now, they have received a telegram asking them to visit their son once, as he was being sent to the front. The woman was unable to digest that her son is going to face war. She was terrified and was so sad expecting the worst to happen.

2.      How are other passengers affected by war?

A.    There was a man whose son has been at the front from day one. He was already wounded   twice and now again sent back to war. Another man has his two sons and three nephews at the war. Another man has lost his son in the war. Every one of them is so sad. They love their country but also love their sons equally. They are unable to lead their lives without their sons and are also scared of the bad consequences of war.

3.      Why does the man feel that it is more difficult to lose an only son than one of many?

A.    The man feels that it is more difficult to lose an only son. In his view, if a person has more than one son, he could get consoled by the living one and that he has someone to depend upon. But if he has only one son, everything is gone with him.

4.      How does the other passenger counter him?

A.    The other passenger gets furious. He says that if a man has two sons, it doesn't mean that he loves them half each. Instead, the father loves both of them totally. If he loses one son, he couldn't get satisfied that he has one more son. He feels double for both his sons and not half for the one he had lost. He says that if a father loses his only son, he could end the suffering by killing himself. But if has lost one of his sons, he has to live for the other son taking the pain and suffering all through his life.

5.      What are the fat man's feelings towards sending children to war?

A.    The fat man supports sending children to war. He reminds his co passengers how they were ready to face war when they were young. He questions them why they are not willing to send their children to war. He says that it's natural that their children want to fight for their country, just as they did in their youth. He explains that the love for their children shouldn't dominate the love for their country. He says that when country needs people, it is their prime responsibility to serve it. He also says that parents shouldn't mourn the death of their children when they take a glorious death. He asks everyone to stop crying and to laugh, thanking God that their children had a glorious death.

6.      What did the fat man's son do before dying?

A.    The fat man's son sent a message to his father that he was dying satisfied as he had ended his life in the best way he could have wished. He died young and happy that he was able to serve his country. He didn't want tears because he was dying happily, feeling proud of his death.

7.      How did the fat man react to the woman's question about the death of his son?

A.    The fat man was first shocked and was unable to answer the question. He behaved as if he had realized in that moment that his son was really dead. His face contracted and he broke into a horrifying cry startling everyone. He snatched his handkerchief and broke into heart-rending, uncontrollable sobs.

8.      What is the message that the author wishes to convey through this story?

A.    The author wants to convey the conflict faced by people who had sent their children to war. Their love for the country is great but they have to make a tough choice of sending their children to war, unwillingly. Though they try to console themselves, the grief and worry of their wards’ safety dominates those emotions. The story highlights the sense of pain and hopelessness the people face because of war. The external message is that the parents face the agony because of war. The internal message is that every parent should accept the fact and send their children to war to protect the country. They should also not mourn the death of their children; instead feel proud as they have received a glorious death.

Long Answer Questions

1.      What is the central theme of the story ‘War’?

A.    War is a tragic story in which the author uses the grief of the parents of the slain soldiers to subtly highlight the sense of pain and hopelessness that war brings about in the lives of ordinary people.The story is set in a second-class railway carriage, where a mother is shown grappling with the sorrow of having to send off her son to the battle front. The woman and her husband encounter other passengers who are all similarly affected. The writer brings out very effectively the conflict and anguish of a father. Though he says that his son died a glorious death and that he would not mourn him, he is actually unable to accept his son's death.

The central theme of the story is the conflict between love for one’s country and love for their children. The parents start discussing whose pain is the worst. Everyone feels that theirs is the worst case. A passenger enlightens them on the need of sending the children to war. He reminds the other passengers that it is their prime duty to serve the country when needed. He questions them if they have given birth to their children to take care after them in their old age. He mentions that it is better to die young and happy instead of leading a long life full of sorrows. He gives hope to them and stands as an example on how to face the crisis. He asks them not to mourn the death of their children as it is a glorious one. However hard he tries to take pride in the death of his son, he fails ultimately and breaks into a horrifying cry. The love for children is in no way a match to the love for the country. The painful experience of war forms the central theme of the story.

2.      What are the different views that passengers articulate regarding war?

A.    The story ‘War’ takes place in a second class railway compartment. It gives out the problems and agony that ordinary people face because of war. There are seven passengers who express their views on war and its consequences. A woman and her husband are in deep mourning as their only son is being sent to war. They are travelling to see him off. Another man has his son in war right from day 1 and he was sent back again after having been wounded. Another passenger has his two sons and three nephews at the war. Another passenger has lost his son in the war.

The woman doesn’t express her grief in words. Instead, she is deeply saddened inside and neither wants to show her face to public nor wants to talk to them. Her husband expresses his view that it is better to have two sons. Their grief is uncontrollable because their only son, who was pampered a lot, is being sent to war. They are worried about their son.

Another passenger says that his situation is worse than theirs because his son was at war from Day 1. He was wounded twice and again sent back to war recently.

Another passenger encounters the lean man that the suffering is the same even if you have two sons. He says that it is better to have an only son because the father too can end his life instead of taking the pain of losing a son. In his view, a man gives his love to all his children equally and if he has to take the pain, he takes it double and not half for each of his child.

All of them are in deep sorrow expecting the worst to happen. Their love for their children has overshadowed their love for the country. Then, the fat man reminds them all that it’s the prime responsibility of every man to fight for the country. He also instructs them that they have to accept the fact just as he has done. He takes pride that his son has lost his life serving the country. He says that it’s the best death which makes him happy. But internally, he is unable to bear that his son is no more.

Summary

Luigi Pirandello was a dramatist, novelist, poet and short story writer. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1934. He studied philosophy and worked as a professor. His greatest contribution is considered to be his large number of plays. They are all concerned with the question of identity and relation of self with the others.

‘War’ is a tragic story which gives out the painful experiences of ordinary people during the time of war. The characters of the story are:

a)      A thin and weakly husband and his bulky wife

b)      A man whose son has been at the front since the first day of the war; who has been wounded twice and sent back twice.

c)      A man who has two sons and three nephews at the front.

d)     A fat red faced man who has lost his son in war.

e)      Two passengers who remain silent throughout the conversation.

The story is set up in a second class railway carriage where all the characters meet and express their views on war and share their grief. Everyone feels that theirs is the worst grief of all.

The fat woman is very sad for their only son as he is being sent to war. She is unable to accept the situation and feels that no one is able to understand her pain. She is not willing to send her only son to the front. She is totally lost and is in deep sorrow. Her husband explains her situation to the co passengers but no one shows sympathy because all of them are in the similar situation. When the husband quotes that the pain is more as they have only one son, another passenger responds that it makes no difference. He says that when a man loses one of his sons, the pain is double because he has to continue living for the sake of the other son, bearing the pain. But if a man has only one son, he can end his life if he loses his son; that way putting an end to the misery.

Another man says that his son has been at the war from the first day onwards. He was wounded twice and sent back again twice. When all these people are expressing their grief and misery, a fat man with bloodshot eyes stops them and starts talking.

He asks them why they are in such a bad mood. He questions them why they are not willing to send their children to war. He reminds them that it is the prime responsibility of any citizen to serve the country in need. He asks them to recollect how every one of them were ready to serve the country when they were young, not listening to their parents’ words. He states that everyone should take pride in sending their wards to war. He stands as an example to them enduring the loss of his son. He says that his son has sent him a message before dying that he is having a happy and satisfied death. He asked his father not to mourn his death as he got the opportunity of ending his life in the best way possible.

The fat woman now realizes that she has been wrong all these days. Her perception changes with the man’s talk. She at last finds someone who could understand her pain and also make her know how to accept the situation. She is now able to rise up to the same height of those fathers and mothers willing to resign themselves, without crying, not only to the departure of their sons but also to their death.

She questions the fat man, in order to reconfirm, if his son is truly dead. Listening to the question, the fat man fails to answer immediately. A minute later, he snatches out his hand kerchief and breaks into a heart rendering cry as if he has just then realized that his son is no more.

The reaction of this man to the woman’s question explains how mournful he is for the loss of his son, but still tries to console himself and the other passengers. The conflict of love for the son and for the country is depicted in an impressive manner.