War is a transformative event because it alters people's perspectives of war, and leaves them suffering, mentally and physically. When the soldiers experienced the true realities of the war, they were left haunted, as depicted in the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen. This poem explains the true realities of the war and how he was left with a damaged mental state. Owen says: In all my dreams, before my helpless sight He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning… If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,… My friend, you would not tell with such high zest… The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori (Document C) In these lines, Owen shows how even after the war, there still is …show more content…
Zwieg states, “The young people were honestly afraid that they might miss this most wonderful and exciting experience of their lives;... that is why they shouted and sang in the trains that carried them to their slaughter” (Document H). Here, Zweig is highlighting the deception that the soldiers underwent to join the war with pleasure. They believed the war was the “most wonderful and exciting experience of their lives”, when actually it mentally destroyed them. The irony of the passage is that the soldiers were expecting a short and glorious adventure, but instead got a mentally and physically deteriorating experience. This romanticization of the war inevitably lead to the “slaughter” and suffering of many …show more content…
Propaganda is made to emotionally influence the people to join the war, even if it is necessary to lie, or portray the enemy as inhuman. By appealing to pathos, countries could recruit more soldiers, as emotions are easy to manipulate. In Document E, propaganda changes the soldiers’ perspective by demonizing their enemies. This is seen the poster with the angry man where the newspaper title says, “HUNS KILL WOMEN AND CHILDREN”. In this headline, the number of women and children that were killed was not stated. By keeping the casualty number vague, the number could range anywhere. This ambiguity leads to great assumptions, true or false, giving more people a reason to join the war. Even though the number of women and children killed by Germans was never specified, it still influenced many men to join the war to protect their families. Similarly, the German propaganda demonizes England by portraying them as a “bloodsucker”. By creating an inhuman perspective of the soldiers, more Germans join the war. This monstrous depiction of the English makes it seem righteous and glorious to fight against the English