The Issue of Age

Having read through a large majority of the novel, I had to stop to comment on not just the differences that class brings out in characters, but also on those that age elicits. I'm not sure if it's because the older generations experienced more heartache, more wars, and more moments of betrayal that they are less able to accept things that are new and foreign, but the older generation of Suite Française has much harsher views of the Germans. The French children play with the German soldiers and the young ladies flirt with them, but the parents scorn and cringe at the idea of someone occupying French land, such as Madame Angellier cringing at the thought of Germans even looking at her French things. Then again, with the men, the older ones think about past wars that they were in and focus on that when they see the foreign soldiers, while the younger ones (that are left during the war) act out in anger because they think that their wife is being unfaithful with the soldiers that flirt with them. I find it interesting to think about how people change over the years and develop a routine and mindset that dictates their life, such as a patriotism that promotes the hostility of the older generation towards the Germans that prove themselves kind and honest- the French were willing to use them. It makes it easier to understand the characters when their experiences in life are considered and not just their social class.