Author Archives: Maddie B

Maddie’s Selection from Kipling, My boy Jack

Posted on by
1

https://youtube.com/shorts/oZl01RS0T_I?si=XLl67NJcPztK0h_U

I chose to interpret “My Boy Jack” by Rudyard Kipling because it was one of the poems that I remembered and kept thinking about after we had already discussed it in class. All Quiet and Not So Quiet were my favorite books this semester because of the focus on the relationship between parent at home and child at war. I thought it was very interesting to see how the relationship changed and evolved due to the trauma and disconnect as well as differing opinions on the war. While the books explored the child’s perspective, this poem explored and expanded on how parents would deal with the guilt of sending their child off to die. I can very much see Nellie’s mother reacting this way if she had died in the war. It was interesting to see another perspective on this issue and explore how a parent may fight against themselves.  

Binkley’s Reading Questions for October 7

Posted on by
2

In the beginning of the book when Frederick is asked why he joined the war he says it was because he was in Italy and spoke Italian, now though when he is asked again he says it is because he was a fool. All of our books so far have been anti-war and shown how the people in war get disillusioned. How does Frederick’s disillusionment with the war compare to Paul’s in all quiet and can it even compare due to their different circumstances in which they joined the war and their situations at home?

Throughout the novel, Catherine expresses a willingness to completely lose herself in Frederic, even saying, “There isn’t me any more. Just what you want.” Meanwhile, Frederic grows increasingly dependent on Catherine as his only emotional anchor. How does Hemingway use their relationship in Part Three to explore themes of identity, dependence, and emotional survival, especially following Frederick’s desertion and how he says that he doesn’t feel like a criminal “when I’m with you”? How intertwined is Frederick’s image of himself with Catherine and vice versa?

As we have talked about in class, Hemingway’s dialogue is dry and to the point and it can often make the conversations between characters feel tense or stiff and awkward. It lacks elaboration and requires you to fill in the lines with your own context. This makes interactions feel emotionally distant or strained, even among those who might otherwise be allies. How does Hemingway’s stylized, minimalist dialogue reflect the difficulty of authentic communication during wartime? What does this suggest about how trauma disrupts language, emotional expression, and human connection?