Humanity in War

In preparing for our class discussion on Monday, I found Tori's second question, with reference to the description of the first German soldier, very thought provoking. When the first German soldier does arrive in the small village where Arlette Corail is staying, Nemirovsky describes him in a way that emphasizes the youthfulness of his appearance, which in turn draws attention to the more humanistic aspects of this terrible German force that the French people have been imagining. On page 99, Nemirovsky writes, "When he raised his head, you could see a rosy, thin, almost childlike face." Her particular use of the words 'rosy', 'thin' and 'childlike' is effective in conveying a sense of inexperience which presents him in a non-threatening demeanor. So far in the novel, we have seen the terror and desperation of the French people, the hardships and suffering that every single person has endured, and the hatred and blame that they hold for the Germans. Yet when we are at last presented with an actual encounter with a German soldier, he is only looking for directions and a lighter for his cigarette. This brief encounter is a perfect juxtaposition between the reality of the enemy and the visions that one side of a war holds for the other. Nemirovsky notes these exaggerated expectations in her description of the town's surprise: "Without actually realizing it, they were expecting some vision from the Apocalypse, some terrifying, foreign monster." But this giant, monstrous image is composed of many individuals, often more similar to the victims than not. For despite the tremendous suffering that we have seen the French people endure so far, this short, page-long scene reminds us that war is a human endeavor, with losses and confusion on both sides.


P.S. As I was reading this page, I was reminded of a commercial I had seen at Christmas time. Although this depicts a scene from the first World War, between the British and German forces, I think the general sentiment is quite similar and applicable to this discussion. Also, it just makes me happy so... here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM