Universality of Traumatic Experiences in All Quiet on the Western Front and The Yellow Birds

Abstract

My dissertation explores the universal nature of war trauma experienced by soldiers. The study presents Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front and Kevin Powers’ The Yellow Birds, to unfold the intensity of traumatic experiences on soldiers participating in war from two different timelines. Remarque narrates traumatic experiences of soldiers from the World War I (1914 to 1918) while Powers recounts those of soldiers from the Iraqi War (2003-2011). Through vivid depictions of physical and psychological destruction, these novels show pointless human cost at the face of war. Set in two different wars with almost a century apart, the protagonists Paul Baumer and John Bartle from All Quiet on the Western Front and The Yellow Birds respectively undergo similar devastating psychological scars unpacking the reality that the essence of war trauma on soldiers remains the same across the world over times. Both novels exhibit the enduring and timeless experience of trauma in terms of soldiers’ alienation from the self, their disconnection with civilian life, emotional numbing, survivor’s guilt and fragmented narratives in the light of the theoretical framework of trauma studies. Moreover, the explicit depiction of acting out and implicit presentation of working through in both narratives intensify the difficulty of dealing with shell shock and traumatic scars which have remained similar across generations. So, through the lenses of trauma proposed by Cathy Caruth, Judith Herman and Dominick LaCapra, traumatic experiences undergone by soldiers are mapped out in this research work. Through the shared patterns of psychological impact, both novelist Remarque and Powers make a compelling case for understanding trauma as a universal human consequence of organized violence. Both these books share striking similarities in their portrayal of war trauma, dehumanization, psychological fragmentation, desensitization that define soldiers’ bittersweet role of camaraderie. These shared elements highlight on the timeless nature of war’s traumatic impact. Both the novels focus on war’s universal capacity to annihilate identity enduring the psychological wounds. This dissertation has the power for cross-cultural empathy surpassing languages, uniforms, or even ideologies. This approach can be a radical step towards recognizing the importance of global solidarity and peace building.