Hi everyone!
- In Chapter Four, Nellie receives a letter from her sister containing her own experiences supporting the war. How do her and her sister’s experience differ? Do you think Trix is witholding the reality of her situation as Smith is or do you think she is sharing her own (seemingly better) reality with her sister?
Add on, what do you make of what Trix heard about Smith’s experience supporting the war through rumors amongst her fellow drivers? And to what effect do these rumors take in Chapter Six on the convoy and eventually on the Bug’s mental and physical health? - Later in Chapter Four, Smith angrily demands that her mother and Mrs. Evans-Mawnington follow her and see what occurs straight at the battle field. How does this section relate to our discussion of how the war is perceived at the illusionment of home vs. the brutality of war? And do you think Smith commands to “look” and “see” sharing the ugliness of war and the effects of it on the children sent to the front with these women is cruel or necessary to their understanding? Would their understanding even attribute to any change? Is this passage influential to us today? (pp. 90-96)
- In Chapter Five, the girls throw a going away party for the B.F. complete with speeches. How do you think of the well wishes that The Bug and Tosh send her? Keeping in mind what we talked about in class today in regard to what the B.F. and Etta Potato may be representing to us, what do you make of the tone that these well wishes are said in? (pp. 106-108)
Bonus Round! Featuring random questions I am curious to hear thoughts on.
- On pg 79, Aunt Helen writes a letter to Smith notifying her that she has made a will in her favor. Is this will for Nellie? If so, with what audacity??
- Am I crazy to read this book as a modernist novel? There is a real “stream of consciousness” narrative at play here and I am wondering if I am just overthinking it.
I look forward to hearing what you guys thought on Tuesday. Good night!
1. Trix’s letter kind of annoyed me, honestly. She was just going on about how many bad things she’d heard about Nellie’s station, even telling her that people are saying its the worst one. I get maybe trying to keep her in the know about what’s going on, but that almost feels like an unintentional insult. But when I read the question and you asked about her possibly withholding the reality of her situation, I started to look at it differently. I really don’t think any one station could be so great that a person is perfectly happy there. No matter where women were stationed, there was always death and horrifying, scarring images of injured and mangled men. Maybe it’s truly not as bad as Nellie’s station, but I feel like Trix’s can’t be that great, either. I don’t even really believe that Mrs. Bitch is the worst Commandant there is. While she could be up there with some terrible ones, I highly doubt there isn’t an iron fist being brought down, for the sake of productivity and ensuring that as many men get picked up as possible at all times. She HAS to be tired out and overworked. I really don’t understand how she couldn’t be. Maybe things really are better for her, but I can’t imagine it’s by much
1-The strength of the bond between Nellie and Trix was something that surprised me because for some reason I had Nellie down as a loner. I think her disillusionment has clouded my judgement about who she is as a person. Reading the somewhat cheerful letter from Trix was a happiest part of this novel thus far. My interpretation of Trix’s letter is that she has not “sugar coated” anything. The letter bemoans washing dishes while poor Nellie is dealing with the horrific injuries that come from machine guns, gas, and flame throwers. I believe that Trix is the same as Nellie’s parents and Aunt Helen, absolutely clueless as to the real horrors of the front.
2-When Nellie demands that the people back in England look at what is really happening – “Why the hell can’t you do it for once?” (92) it is a powerful statement about her disgust surrounding the blind patriotism of the home front. It’s Smith’s indictment of English society and the ridiculous propaganda machine that paints the VAD girls as “just doing their bit.”
BONUS Round:
-Aunt Helen tells Nellie about her future inheritance as a sort of reward. The old girl really believes in the “noble example” (79) that Nellie has provided for other girls. I think it is meant as a grand gesture of patriotism to show off, much the same as Nellie’s mother and Mrs. Evans-Mawington. It’s almost comical that this grand gesture has no impact on Nellie. She’s seen so much pain and death that sums of money and property are irrelevant.
-Your totally NOT crazy! I also feel this work is modernist. I read somewhere online that the writers of this era rebelled against old school storytelling and formulaic poetry and instead wrote fragmented stories and stream of consciousness narratives to reflect a world that had been shattered by this tragic conflict.
2. Great question! Smithy sharing the brutality of war to her mother and Mrs. Evans-Mawnington would not attribute to any change. As one of my classmates mentioned in class today, most people don’t listen. If Smithy shared with these women, none of her words would sink in. The reality is, anyone who hasn’t seen, or experienced the violence of war, can never understand or relate. Would you agree? Or do you think that people like Mrs. Evans-Mawnington are ever able to empathize with Smithy’s trauma?
I want to address the stream of consciousness thought you had because I felt the same way! You are totally not crazy for thinking that because it is very obvious how Nellie narrates differently especially when the bombing is going on towards the end of the section we read for today. This part specifically really shows how Nellie’s narration shifts and she is going through a very intense moment of chaos yet her narration is very detailed and slowed almost? I hope that makes sense but I agree with you fully on that aspect!
2) I think that the four of five pages of Smithy explaining to Mother and Mrs. Evans-Mawnington is necessary. Though she cannot actually take the two of them on this “tour” that she has set up for them throughout the text, this moment is very important for Smithy to be able to convey how she is feeling. She can talk with her fellow ambulance drivers including Tosh, but it isn’t really the same because they so easily understand. What Smithy really needs, is to tell Mother and Mrs. Evans-Mawnington how it really is. In her mind, this subtle act of rebellion is her way of telling the people back home how it really is, that she is not some idealistic “daughter of war.” This few pages where she discusses the soldiers in pieces as if they were exhibits in a zoo are the words and descriptions she wishes she could actually write in her letter home. If she were to revoke her expected censorship, these are the gruesome details that would be awaiting her family in probably each and every letter that she sends home. However, for a multitude of reasons, these words will never be bestowed upon her family. All that Smithy is able to do is sarcastically take the reader on this tour, living in the fantasy that she has told off Mother and Mrs. Evans-Mawnington in an effort to combat everything that has been happening to her.
Later in Chapter Four, Smith angrily demands that her mother and Mrs. Evans-Mawnington follow her and see what occurs straight at the battle field. How does this section relate to our discussion of how the war is perceived at the illusionment of home vs. the brutality of war? And do you think Smith commands to “look” and “see” sharing the ugliness of war and the effects of it on the children sent to the front with these women is cruel or necessary to their understanding? Would their understanding even attribute to any change? Is this passage influential to us today? (pp. 90-96)
Nothing can compare to seeing the scene she described in person and watching that scene play out day after day. I think it is absolutely necessary to their understanding. I think she feels like she is at her wits end. These women can’t even understand what their own children are about to see and experience and put themselves in anyone else shoes, and sharing this scene with them would be her last resort. I think if she wrote home, writing out every word, nothing would change. They would write back saying it is incredibly inappropriate for her to write such language. I think that is exactly what she is trying to say to the reader though. That people like B.F. and Etta Potato, her mother and Mrs. Evans-Mawnington are going to exist no matter what you say, no matter what they see. B.F. and Etta Potato saw those scenes just as she has seen them and they still don’t understand.
I absolutely think this passage is influential to us today. It is one of the few passages to ever make me feel sick, and a truly bitter, unshielded, declaration of war and it needs to be shared.