Strange Meeting Hilliard Looks To Barton example essay topic

Barker has written Regeneration laid in England in 1917, the novel is populated by a mixture of real and imaginary people. One of the real characters is the soldier and poet, Siegfried Sassoon. We meet him after he has been awarded a medal for heroism in WWI, and has publicly denounced the war as one of aggression and conquest in defiance of military orders. Instead of having a court martial, he is sent to Craiglockhart Hospital to be treated as a "shell shocked" casualty by Dr. William Rivers another real character. Craiglockhart was what we today would call a neuro-psychiatric hospital, and Rivers is a practitioner of psychoanalysis.

His job is to get men well, by carrying out particular methods such as getting the men to recall their disturbing events and then to speak about them, so they can return to the front. Sassoon, Rivers, and other real and fictional characters are interwoven in this tale. The experiences and stories of Regeneration are greatly inspired by historical events and sociological influences. Bringing real life poets and their experiences together with a fictional plot surrounding the great war, Barker has been able to produce a novel from an intriguing blend of fact and fiction, one that conveys several aspects of history.

Strange Meeting on the other hand is set against the horrors of the First World War, this novel portrays the friendship of two young officers. Hilliard is a veteran of combat, a reserved and isolated young man who prefers the stark reality of the front line "why had it been so easy to sleep up there, to sleep through the noise of guns?" , where he follows orders and makes only simple decisions based on life or death, to the political and social complications of his previous existence in England. Hill presents the characters as more positively, psychologically affected by war, from which a main character John Hilliard grows as a person and learns to love as a result of learning to communicate, speak and express himself freely, as at the beginning of the novel he is portrayed as detached and unable to feel or relate to those around him, (primarily his immediate family). Comradeship between Hilliard and Barton, (another central character) appears to be the most prominent component in the novel; however the exploitation of the silenced youth is also explored throughout the novel.

He had been unhappy at home, where he could not talk to no one, nobody knew". Both Regeneration and Strange Meeting provoke an anti war attitude through the indirect or not so indirect emphasis on silencing. In the first few chapters of Strange Meeting Hill presents us with Hilliard who is clearly presented as detached, withdrawn and repressing emotions. This is reflected through Hill's use of narrative, we do not experience a lot of Hilliard's speech, such use of narrative is vital to represent the lack of speech on Hilliard's behalf. The narrative is full of descriptions of sound and listening. ".. where old men aired their military opinions and he could not join in, just sit there", ... ".

He had argued twice, bitterly, with his farther. But after that, stayed silent". Within the first few pages Strange Meeting we experience Hilliard suffering with nightmares of his experiences in the trenches, his suffering is in silence, as he wakes, crying out from a nightmare but is worried any one may have heard him "He sat up quickly, to shut out the sound of his own heart, thumping against the pillows... ".

The very thought that the stereotypical soldier could be thought of as being scared certainly implies that there is something exceptionally fear-provoking about the hostilities of war that are shown in the novel. Similarly Regeneration introduces us to a character very similar to John Hilliard... Whilst the novel is set in Craiglockhart we are introduced to patients attending Craiglockheart, who are gravely wounded in spirit if not body; sometimes they are tormented by their nightmares, revulsion's, mutism, stammering, paralysis, especially the conscious closure of the peoples eyes on the horrors of the war. One in which is Billy Prior, who when first introduced is suffering from mutism, although Prior's silence is more severe than Hilliard's in Strange Meeting, it is implied that Prior's mutism is by choice, like that of Hilliard's in Strange Meeting.

Further more Hilliard and Prior are very similar in terms of their inability to communicate with their families. As a soldier who has had a difficult life both at war and at home, Prior is a conflicted and complicated character. From what we know, Prior is entirely fictional, which frees Barker from any constraints linked to Prior's beliefs, past, or future. As a result, Prior is deeply nuanced in his thoughts and reactions We receive a glimpse of Prior's past when his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Prior, come to visit Craiglockhart.

Prior's conflicted nature is not surprising, considering that his parents come from such differing views with regard to their son's well being. Prior's father is a slightly hardened man and would have preferred if his son didn't join the army "I'm not proud. He should " ve stuck with his own". It is also implied that Prior's father almost resents his son " He seemed to have no feeling for his son at all, except contempt". Whereas Prior's mother is a softer woman Who seems to care for her son and is proud of him joining the army " she was determined he was going to get on. Such emotional conflict clearly causes Prior stress; he develops a physical asthmatic reaction to their visit.

This is the way in which Barker presents the detachment of Prior to his family as does Hill with Hilliard in Strange Meeting. Hilliard's silence becomes prominent when he attempts to regain a bond that himself and his sister once maintained. However he is unable to speak with her the dialogue in the small bit of speech between Hilliard and Beth (sister) remain extremely formal, not dialogue that would be considered of brother and sister. Hilliard is unable to speak with his sister, she had not experienced the horrors of the front line or the re-occurring nightmares due to the horrors, and ironically Hill gives u's a glimpse into the life Beth has been pursuing in the absence of her brother, "but she had busy, going out to lunch with their mother, helping with twice a week at parties for soldiers on leave, leading a social life".

The life Beth leads contrast with great irony to the life that Hilliard leads, as Beth's life back in England appears to reflect the great patriotic country. Who celebrate the honour and absence of their men, it also presents the harsh reality that life must go on. This reality makes it very difficult for the reader to relate to both the circumstances of the situation and to Beth's character, whilst allowing for Hilliard to gain sympathy from the reader, his detachment is understandable therefore allows for the reader to relate to his character which makes all the better for reading the novel. Detachment is also presented between Hilliard and his mother Constance Hilliard. Although Constance insist on escorting Hilliard to the train station there is an obvious distance between the two. This is appears to be highlighted through the metaphorical device Hill uses"; The sun shone, too, onthe round walnut table which stood between them...

". A particular paradox that stood out in my mind, was the description of Constance outfit. Which was described as one appropriate for a wedding "you look as if you were going to a wedding, mother" the paradox being that Hilliard returning to the frontline would seem rather more like his funeral. The concept of silencing becomes clearer as Barton is introduced to the novel. His character is fresh "pleasant young chap. Lively".

We are presented with Barton as youthful in possession of something that those who have experienced the war lack. .".. he talked easily and quickly, smiled, laughed at himself and, on all sides attracted a response". Hilliard's response to Barton is vital it opens up the complexities of the effects of war to the reader "He has seen nothing, he can talk in this way and assume that we have nothing else to occupy our thoughts". It would appear Barton has specifically been used to highlight Hilliard's silence and the effect of the war on others, as the silence of Hilliard is not as apparent without his counterpart Barton. Prior's belief system is complicated: He believes he has a duty to serve, but his ambitions prompt this duty as a reason for him to return to the war. Prior wants to prove to himself that he is a good soldier, a man who will not break down under pressure-a masculine figure. Opposing this desire, however, is the very real fear that he will be killed in the war.

Prior is hesitant to admit this fear, and he cries when he is told he will not be returning to the war. He is in many ways a self-absorbed character; he cares first and foremost about his own recovery and his own experiences. When he takes Sarah to the shore, he is envious of the people around him who are able to escape the war experience, which inevitably results in their ability to continue with everyday life and remain free from the constraints of silence. In the end, Prior endeavours to lead a normal existence, taking solace in the fact that there will be a part of his life-Sarah-that is not tarnished by the war. Similarly this can be seen in Strange Meeting Hilliard looks to Barton as he is untouched by the war yet to be silenced, to some extent I assume such characters as Barton in Strange Meeting and Sarah Lamb in Regeneration are in actual fact a touch of reality, as it is the war that in confined almost hidden and yet both Susan Hill and Pat Barker leads the reader to become resentful of the free characters. This is carried out through giving the audience an in depth look at the damaged characters which results in the reader relating to them.

Hilliard's and Barton's relationship is to some extent a cure for Hilliard's silence, like that, that can be seen in River's cure for the characters in Regeneration. However Hilliard and Barton's relationship is slightly less complexes as it based on a voluntary basis it is not emasculating. Barton's youth does not appear to affect Hilliard seeking the parental guidance from him, like Prior in Regeneration seeking Rivers as a fatherly figure. Barton presents provides Hilliard with comfort "It was not simply what Barton said but his tone of voice, the chance it offered", and not only does Barton cure Hilliard of silence he cures him of his nightmares "For the second night he slept without dreaming".

Barton and Hilliard's friendship occurs, ironically, through Barton's admiration for Hilliard and therefore is intrigued by him. Barton wants Hilliard to speak of his experiences and of his past, thus resulting in Hilliard overcoming his silence. Hilliard can speak to baton as Barton is "open" Hill presents the importance of their friendship with the use of just a few words "I love you John" and "he loved him, as he had loved no other person in his life". The character of Dr Yelleand is a character in Regeneration who enables individuals to regain their lost voice, however it is quite different to the techniques used by Barton in Strange Meeting. Regeneration climaxes when Dr Yealland, another psychiatrist specializing in war patients, invites Rivers to the National Hospital to come on his rounds. Barker introduces the reader to another character similar to the character prior.

Dr Yelland's patient Callan is also suffering from mutism. Rivers watches one of Yealland's horrific electro-shock therapy sessions on Callan, in which ironically Barker shows how Callan is aided to rediscover his voice and yet remain voiceless"; You must speak, but I shall not listen to any thing you have to say". This particular chapter of Regeneration is a constant statement being made through out the novel and could conclude the whole novel. Whilst it gives meaning to the novel it also challenges it, as questionable to what extent these soldiers are really being regenerated. Physical regeneration is obviously apparent however psychological seems some what less. It would appear the only thing gaining full regeneration is the war!

Regeneration display of silencing at the beginning of the novel does not appear as obvious as in Strange Meeting. Ironically Regeneration opens with what appears to be a protest against the conduct and of the First World War, a declaration. This is another way in which Barker presents us with the concept of silencing. Both Barker and Hill use written extracts in which the characters within their novel have wrote, such written word and extracts seem to be the metaphors for the silent words army veterans speak. In Regeneration Sassoon's declaration is the first extract presented to us. However Sassoon appears to be protesting but even his attendance to Craiglockheart undermines the protest and will inevitably lead to his own silencing.

However Barker also opens us to the complexity of others silence to war "so, you agree with his views but not his actions?" Rivers asks Graves to explain his views about war and about Sassoon's protest. Graves responds that he does not see it as artificial to agree with someone's views but disagree with his actions. Graves's response is important because it reveals a complex attitude toward war. Strange Meeting displays how characters such as Barton seek escapism and salvage in the written letters home and the letters he receives furthermore when Barton shares such letter with Hilliard it becomes an escapism for him to.

As Barton encounters the real horrors of war Barton thinks despairingly that his literary jottings were an attempt to get comfort from fine words and great thoughts, to abstract things, to give shape to something shapeless, to put a neat fence round things and tidy them up. And yet gradually he does accept the truth that 'where life is more terrible, it is then the truest act of valour to live' - words which would have meant something also to Sassoon, as he returned to France. This can also be identified in Regeneration when Sassoon and Owen find salvage in their poetry "I's-suppose I've always thought of p-pottery as the opposite of that of all that". Barker investigates the lost voices of those who were traumatized by shell shock in the First World War, and uses a combination of empirical and imaginative resources in order to reconstruct the subjective histories of those who were silenced.