Graves' Use of Documents

A detailed Summary of Graves' Use of Documents

Robert Graves depicts the dramatic and somewhat gruesome memories of his days in World War I in his autobiography, Good-bye to All That. Without ever being involved in a war, it is hard to comprehend the horrific and dramatic events that take place. As with any story, it is easier to imagine and understand what occurs when there is evidence to support the narrative. By including letters, articles, and newspaper cuttings, Graves is able to give the reader a better understanding of his war experience.

Extracts from some of Graves' letters that he writes in 1915, give the readers a chance to better understand the soldiers' lives during the war. These letters are part of a compilation of evidence detailing the everyday activities of the soldiers. Within these letters, Graves creates vivid images of life in the trenches so that the reader can have a clearer picture of what the soldiers are facing. In the letter from May 28th, Graves describes how his "ears sang as though there were gnats in them, and a bright scarlet light shone over everything" after a shell drops right beside him (112). It is hard to understand how dangerous and terrifying the war is, but with these letters Graves is able to ma

ke it a little easier to understand. These letters are very relevant to this book because they bring the reader closer to what Graves goes through in the war. His behavior after the war is the result of what he faces as a soldier. It becomes a part of everyday life to stand over the corpses of fellow soldiers and the site of blood is very common, which he reflects in his gruesome descriptions. In his letter from June 9th, he sees a soldier's "cap he had worn...splashed with his brains" for the first time (114). Graves wants to enlighten the readers about the horrors of life in the trenches, which he achieves by using these letters.

This article also displays a protest of the "political errors and insincerities for which the fighting men are being sacrificed" (260). By including this article, Graves makes it apparent that he, along with many other soldiers, does not agree with the actions of the government during this war. Graves describes Sassoon as "courageous" for pointing out these "political errors and insincerities", although he agrees with Sassoon completely. "Finished With the War" reflects the frustration between most of the soldiers and the government, because the soldiers disagree with the suffering of the troops and prolonging the war without any reason to do so.

Graves includes several newspaper cuttings to illustrate the exaggeration and false information that is present during the time of the war. The first cutting from Kolnische Zeitung reports that "the church bells were rung" after the news of the "fall of Antwerp" (67). Each cutting is exaggerated a little more while falsely informing the civilians of what happens. In Corriere della Sera they report that so

Some common words found in the essay are:
Extracts Graves', Finished War, World War, Common Soldier', Kolnische Zeitung, Siegfried Sassoon, Robert Graves, government war, newspaper cuttings, Mother's Answer, war letters, reader clearer picture, cuttings graves, war civilians, purpose war, war effects, political errors insincerities, graves includes, political errors, newspaper cuttings graves, church bells,

Approximate Word count = 1150
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English