Journey's End (Penguin Modern Classics) [Paperback]

I first read this play when I was studying for an English GCSE. To be honest, I didn't really expect much of it, as I don't always enjoy the books we are told to read. However, from the moment I opened it, I knew this was something special. Sherriff's realistic portrayal of the WWI trenches and the relationships between the men really do stay with you forever. I never wanted to put it down This is a gem of a book.

'Journey's End' opens in the bleak environment of the Western Front as a new arrival James Raleigh comes to join a group of soldiers in the trench system. The 'journey' on which the soldiers embark upon is contains two human attributes, the first being emotional attachment, the second being the power of perceiverance.

Sherriff does not need to go into the graphic details of what happens when the men 'go over the top', however he builds up a number of passionate friendships that both move and endear the reader. The first of these relationships is between Commander Stanhope and Officer Osborne who is 'the only man who could understand me' as described by the company commander at the moment of Osborne's demise. Their relationship is one of two brothers as they look after each other on the Front line - 'what would I ever do without you old chap' exclaims Stanhope, 'I do not know' responds Osborne - inferring the loving relationship the two characters share. At the moment of Osborne's death I was shocked at the anger that welled up inside Stanhope as he responded to the comments from the survivors of the daylight raid on 'the Boche'. He shouts at Hibbert - 'What did you say!...Get out of my sight!' in anger at losing his 'most trusted friend' and the sense of loss is only solidified by the explosion of emotion that feels his dialogue whilst conversing with Raleigh (the soul commanding survivor of the raid).

The audience can fully understand the sense of anger that is perpetuated by Stanhope at the loss of his comrade. The loss moves the reader as the emotional outpouring fills six pages of intense dialogue between the commanding officer and the other soldiers.

The opposite reaction can be found at the climax of the performance. Stanhope must deal with another loss, this time of his school friend and new arrival Raleigh. The young officer's death is one of immense sadness and brutality as the 'young boy's' dignity is ripped from him as 'he cannot walk sir' - though the most sombre moment comes when Raleigh asks 'is there something on my legs, I cannot move them' unbeknown to him that he is in fact paralysed from shrapnel breaking his spine. This horrific brutality is finalised with the death of 'that fine soldier'. This moment is devoid of anger or confusion, but bears down to the horrific truth of war time conflict. Sherriff highlights the horrific truth with the final dialogue between another officer and Stanhope. Stanhope must leave his fallen friend, 'I'm coming now', as he is called to duty. The audience is left feeling immense for the soldier who thought 'it awful nice of you to bother' when Stanhope fetches him a blanket and a candle as his last dying wish.

Sherriff allows two redeeming features to the two horrific deaths of the soldiers lie with the ignorance of Raleigh and the rapid death endured by Osborne whilst 'waiting for Raleigh on the Front line'. However this only adds to the brilliance of the play as a piece of anti war artwork.

Sherriff is fantastic at delivering a dialogue that not only amuses in places and heartens the audience but also plunges them to the depths of dispair at the brutality and senselessness of war. Two young men die in the play, along with six nameless others, however Sherriff only touches the tip of the iceberg with the play, but my does this tip deliver a piercing cut to the audience. It is emotive and passionate in its description of the group of men in the trenches, but accompanying this is a forceful message that highlights the stupid senselessness of the war effort and pays remeberance to the young souls who fell throughou the Great War.

I read this whilst doing my English Literature A level and I was pleasently surprised! I really got into it easily and become engrossed in all the characters, I know this book deserves a much more detailed and in depth review about all the issues that it covers, but I already did that in my essay!

Happy reading :)