As you may know, I have been reading the Anne of Green Gables Novels. I am now reading the last one,
Rilla of Ingleside (first published in 1921). The novel is set during the time period of World War I. It has struck me how differently society reacted to war and how differently art (novels and movies) depicted war back then.
In the novel (which in this case I pretty sure accurately represents this time in history) as soon as the young men start signing up for war, the women organize red cross groups and the older men organize a patriotism group. The women make an effort not to cry so as not to send the young men off with a sad memory, but instead a happy one. The young men who can't go are upset. The whole of society wants to and does get involved.
Now, some of us wives not only cry, but are needy (some more than others) and we complain to our soldiers who are deployed about our hardships instead of bearing them bravely. Wives today probably try to being uplifting to our soldiers and brave like the women were back then. I am sure there was some complaining and neediness back then, just like there is bearing hardships bravely now. But, I would still argue that the overall attitude has changed. I am so guilty of complaining to Ryan sometimes, but I know that there are other wives who are consistently complaining to their husbands who are deployed.
We don't worry about doing anything to help our country in the war like make bandages or ration our food...it's the government's job to provide services.
The big change is that war for the most part is now government's problem, the soldiers' problem, and not our problem. Most of our society does not get involved in a war. Most of our society ignores the war. I know...before I married a solider I ignored it too.
But maybe the change isn't as drastic as it seems at first. There are still groups which support soldiers and their families. They send packages to soldiers. The Red Cross is involved in helping families get their soldiers home in an emergency. There are still young men who feel upset when they can't go to help their country (they are just very rare and brave).
I don't know...I don't have this all thought out. I am sure people have written books about the subject, these are only my few thoughts.
One thing that I see that maybe people don't always think of is the way books and movies depict war now vs. then. I already talked about some of how
Rilla of Ingleside shows what war is like for those left at home. Its a realistic not over dramatized depiction. Another example of a depiction of war made in a different time is a movie made in 1946 called
The Best Years of Our Lives, which is about three men coming home from war and the challenges they face including, not knowing their families well, having to deal with a family's reaction to disability, going back to work, a wife disillusioned about the glamor of being a soldiers wife (we don't need disillusioned now--another way society has changed), etc.
Think of the movies made recently. The movies made recently have turned war into a soap opera! In
Dear John, the main female character marries someone else while her love is deployed. In
Brothers (which I WILL NOT see), the wife of a deployed soldier has an affair with his brother. In
Pearl Harbor, the main female character thinks her fiance is dead, has a one night stand with his best friend, and gets pregnant. It seems to me that these are examples of disrespect to the families who face the realities and hardships of war and deployments.
I guess I should be clear. I am not talking about books and movies made about the battlefield as much as books and movies made about the relationships of the soldiers with the people at home.
Those are my not as well thought out as I would like thoughts for today :)
Jordon
P.S. Thank you for all the responses on the "Moms" post. I appreciate your contributions to the discussion, and I was very blessed by your encouragement.
