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Return of the Soldier - West, 2020 BOTM July
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Here is an edited version of Literary Ladies Guide biography for Rebecca West, the author of Return of the Soldier:Rebecca West (December 21, 1892 – March 15, 1983), British novelist, journalist, and essayist, was born Cicely Isabel Fairfield in County Kerry, Ireland.
Her mother was a pianist; her father, a would-be journalist and ne’er-do-well, abandoned his family when she was eight years old, after which they moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. There she was educated at George Watson’s Ladies College, though contrary to its name, was a secondary school.
At age 14, she survived tuberculosis, and had to end her education at age 16, due to lack of finances. Some time later she studied drama at a London academy. With an unhappy childhood behind her, she assumed the name Rebecca West after a strong-willed woman in Rosmersholm, a play by Ibsen.
West was a woman of many trades and talents early on: she studied to be an actress, started working as a journalist in 1911 at The Freewoman, and was active in the woman’s suffrage movement.
In her work as a journalist, she wrote essays and reviews for publications like New York Herald Tribune, The Daily Telegraph, The New Republic and New York American. Her first book, Henry James: A Critical Biography, was published in 1916.
Rebecca had an affair with H.G. Wells and had a son with him named Anthony West.
Among her other lovers were Charlie Chaplin and Lord Beaverbrook, a newspaper tycoon. As a witty and beautiful woman, men were drawn to her wherever she went on her far-flung travels. In 1930 she married Henry Maxwell Andrews, a banker, and they remained together, though spending much time apart, until his death in 1968.
In 1918 The Return of the Soldier was published. This, her first novel, was a study of what was then called shell-shock (now more often called PTSD). Her subsequent novels, all considered extremely fine yet undervalued by critics, included Harriet Hume (1929), The Thinking Reed (1936), The Fountain Overflows (1957), and The Birds Fall Down (1966).
Rebecca West loved travel and politics, both of which figured significantly in her writing. Traveling to countries such as Mexico, Yugoslavia, and South Africa influenced her works, notably Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (1941), considered a classic of literature that spans the genres of travel, culture, and politics.
Other works of nonfiction included The Meaning of Treason (1949), about the role of the intellectual, scientist, and traitor in society; A Train of Powder (1955), which included reports of criminal trials; and The Court and the Castle (1958), which examines how political and religious ideas interact in literature.
In addition to her books, West wrote countless articles and essays for a number of publications on both sides of the Atlantic, including The New Yorker.
Rebecca West is considered one of the great minds of the twentieth century. She looked at the human condition with the dispassionate eye of a journalist and the heart of a feminist.
Some short questions for before you read The Return of the Soldier:1) Have you read any other novels by Rebecca West or do you know about her through any of her other works?
2) There are other books written by women on the 1001 list that deal with WWI including Pat Barker's Regeneration, Virginia Woolf's Jacob's Room and Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain. Have you read any of these?
3) If you read the Annual Read last year, Dorothy Richardson's Pilgrimage, you know that her Pointed Roofs, the first book in the series, was published in 1915, three years before The Return of the Soldier was published. Both Richardson and West had relationships with H.G. Wells. Do you think that there will be any similarities between the two author's writing styles?
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Questions for AFTER Reading - spoilers!1) The Return of the Soldier is a short book that is reputed to contain a devastating critique of class and gender norms.
How do you think that West uses detailed descriptions of nature to highlight class distinctions?
2) What does Baldry Court represent to each of the characters?
3) What do you think about Jenny's descriptions of the poor and about poverty in general. Is she at all sympathetic to the poor or is she largely just reflecting her class origins?
4) Women played a role in WWII either on the home front, the resistance or in support of the industrial war effort. In contrast, WWI mostly demanded that the women "wait" and hold on to the societal norms. What do you think West is saying about this expectation?
5) Kitty, Jenny and Margaret each love Chris in their own way. What do you think Chris means to each woman?
Why does Jenny build a relationship with Margaret and distance herself from Kitty?
6) Why do you think that Margaret agrees to shock Chris given that it will result in the loss of her own happiness?
7) According to some sources, the British army dealt with roughly 80,000 cases of shell shock by the end of the great war. West's novel, both written and set in wartime, starts a dialogue about how to interpret "madness" and how much to value "sanity". What do you think about the ending? If not "cured" and therefore sent back to the front, would Chris "not be quite a man"?
8) Do you see any of the feminist and socialist author reflected in Chris rather than in the narrator Jenny? Or is Chris only a symbol of the return of male dominance?
9) What did you think? Did you find the book impactful? How did it compare to other books from this era in terms of its style or in terms of the themes of war, classism, feminism, and mental health?
1. This will be my first by West.2. Yes. I read Testament of Youth and thought it was fantastic.
3. No, and no idea.
Mod
1) I have read The Birds Fall Down which I loved, 5 stars!
2) I have read Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain. Also 5 stars.
3) I have not read Dorothy Richardson's Pilgrimage. I did not know about the relationship with H.G. Wells but interesting to know.
1. I have read Harriet Hume and The Birds Fall Down, which I gave 3 and 4 stars respectively. I have also heard of her non-fiction like The Meaning of Treason which I own but have not read.2. I have read Pat Barker's trilogy, but long ago. Testament of Youth is one of my favourite books and I re-read it every decade or so.
3. I remember West's beautiful descriptions of nature which were fresh and lovely to read, more lyrical than Richardson. I recently read a biography of Vita Sackville-West, who was also a lover of H.G.Wells - he was a busy man!
Comments after reading:1. The grounds of Baldry Court were deliberately styled to show artifice rather than nature in the wild. They were contrasted with the woods, which were more natural, although West tells the reader that the trees there, too, have been pruned by woodsmen to have clean straight trunks. Such attention to detail takes a great deal of money. Mr Grey has a garden that looks like an allotment and he is not a competent gardener, growing vegetables to eat rather than plants just to be seen.
2. Chris sees Baldry Court as a trap. He has had to be a successful businessman to maintain it in style. His reaction to the alterations that have been made to the original property pain him. Kitty sees the house as a reflection of her exquisite taste, which she shows by lavish spending. She takes great pride in its meticulous upkeep, which buries her pain. Jenny admires Kitty's ability to make the property beautiful while Margaret sees the liability Baldry Court has become for Chris.
3. Jenny is a collossal snob. She judges Margaret for her dowdy appearance although she does not immediately conclude that she has visited to get money, as Kitty does. When she visits Margaret at home she is judgemental about the ugliness of her house. She is observant about how Margaret moves and dresses. But gradually she realises that Margaret is a much more worthy person than Kitty.
4. I think West is showing how the war has changed society. Women did participate in the First World War as ambulance drivers and as nurses, but the majority of women stayed at home and tried to maintain the status quo. The life of a place like Baldry Court would become obsolete and I think that West could anticipate this happening.
5. Kitty values Chris as a provider. Nothing is revealed about how they reacted to the death of their child, but Kitty is more worried about appearances than the other women. Jenny adores her cousin but what she wants from him is attention and she is often reminded of how unimportant she is in his life. Margaret loved Chris and wants to heal him, even though that will mean that she loses him again.
6. See answer above.
7. I liked the psychotherapist's speech "It's my profession to bring people from various outlying districts of the mind to the normal. There seems to be a geneal feeling it's the place where they ought to be. Sometimes I don't see the urgency myself". Jenny imagines that if Chris stays amnesiatic he will eventually be an object of pity. But his faulty memory might be the more sane response to his dilemma. If he regains his memory of the past 15 years, which is hinted at in his military march back to the house, then he will be sent back to war. Oh, the irony!
8. We only see Chria through Jenny's lovestruck eyes and so I think it difficult to analyse Chris in depth.
9. See my review.
Mod
How do you think that West uses detailed descriptions of nature to highlight class distinctions?
The author uses the description of the house that has been redone for Kitty and in which Kitty has decorated and changed it so that it is "controlled, perfect" in its setting of wildness and nature, even the spring flowers that have been forced into the grounds as unnatural part of the grounds.
2) What does Baldry Court represent to each of the characters?
Kitty is the woman in charge and she is the person that controls its presentation, decorations, etc. Its a place where goodness reigns.
Jenny is the person who is not really a outsider who has intruded on the scene whether as a companion to Kitty, though it is suggested that Kitty hates Jenny. Margaret is the soiled, frumpy person from a different social class who intrudes on this environment, she is able to point out the allusions and falseness in the environment.
3) What do you think about Jenny's descriptions of the poor and about poverty in general. Is she at all sympathetic to the poor or is she largely just reflecting her class origins?
Jenny dislikes this intrusion of the poor on the environment that tries to hold on to pre WWI social status.
4) Women played a role in WWII either on the home front, the resistance or in support of the industrial war effort. In contrast, WWI mostly demanded that the women "wait" and hold on to the societal norms. What do you think West is saying about this expectation?
Women waited and prior to WWI they were unaware of the violence of war but now through news reels the war is brought to their awareness. This in itself is a trauma to the women who are being effected by these changes to society.
5) Kitty, Jenny and Margaret each love Chris in their own way. What do you think Chris means to each woman?
Margaret is the love of his youth, a carefree time before family troubles, marriage, loss of baby and war.
Kitty is the wife who he married after the relationship with Margaret was disrupted and he lost contact with her. Did he marry her on the rebound and later regretted this?
Jenny is a cousin who is the one who has known Chris the longest. Why she is living with Jenny is unclear but it seems evident that they don't like each other and Chris knows her but doesn't pay much attention to her presence. Has she been a part of Baldry Court since childhood? She represents childhood.
Why does Jenny build a relationship with Margaret and distance herself from Kitty? Perhaps Jenny wishes that Margaret would come between Chris and Kitty. Mostly she is envious of the love he has for Margaret and she might be using Margaret vicariously to get nearer to Chris.
6) Why do you think that Margaret agrees to shock Chris given that it will result in the loss of her own happiness?
It is an ethical dilemma. Do you keep Chris locked in his amnesia so that you can keep him from the war or do you let him free so he can truly return to his life as a soldier and husband. Margaret really could not have him and sparing him pain would not have served any good purpose and Margaret sees this and chooses to show Chris the evidence of his son.
7) According to some sources, the British army dealt with roughly 80,000 cases of shell shock by the end of the great war. West's novel, both written and set in wartime, starts a dialogue about how to interpret "madness" and how much to value "sanity". What do you think about the ending? If not "cured" and therefore sent back to the front, would Chris "not be quite a man"?
I liked the ending. I believe that it was the right thing to do. I think doing the right thing isn't always the outcome that we want for ourselves. I think it was very believable that Chris was dissociating from the present and stuck in a happier time.
8) Do you see any of the feminist and socialist author reflected in Chris rather than in the narrator Jenny? Or is Chris only a symbol of the return of male dominance?
I think Chris is only the turning point around which we view the trauma that the three women experience in this situation. We have a male who isn't functional for whatever reason (post war trauma), we have a household run and manage by Kitty. We have Jenny who I am not sure what she represents but according to lit charts. She acts as mediator between the world of Kitty and Margaret -- beauty and truth. Margaret is in contrast to Kitty. She is described as something you might find under the bed covered in dust bunnies. She is worn out, tired, and has quit trying, She acts to reveal the allusions to those around her, especially to Jenny. She also adds to, and supports the doctor and goes farther than the doctor so she is more aware and thoughtful than even the doctor.
9) What did you think? Did you find the book impactful? How did it compare to other books from this era in terms of its style or in terms of the themes of war, classism, feminism, and mental health.
For some reason it reminded me of The Garden Party. But the Garden Party was written in 1922 so would possible have been influenced. I liked the story so very much and loved the themes and the writing. I am looking forward to reading more of West. Comparing to Pat Barker's writing, I really did not see any connections.
Kristel, very good point about the impact of the newsreels on women's knowledge and reaction to the WWI. Also, Pip's point about women being nurses and ambulance drivers during WWI as compared to most of the women who did not participate. If you have read Testament of Youth you get a good background on what it was like to be a woman actually participating in the war.
Although it is probably the following that is West's most often repeated quote:"I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.”
I was out in the garden today and it was this quote that came to mind: "not so much digging as exhibiting his incapacity to deal with a spade".
Feel free to share your favorite quote from Return of the Soldier or any works by West
Mod
"English women of my time, I was wishing for the return of the soldier"
"..how sad dance-music sounded'
"..strangeness had come into the house, and everything was appalled by it, even time."
"..lonely life gives one opportunities of thinking these things out."
"Beautiful women of her type lose, in this matter of admiration alone, their otherwise tremendous sense of class distinction; they are obscurely aware that it is their ...mission to flash the jewel of their beauty before all men so that they shall desire it and work to get the wealth to buy it, and thus be seduced by a present appetite to a tilling of the earth that serves the future." Pg 81.
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5) Kitty is the wife and her relationship with Chris is one about station in life. Margaret represents the past, a less complicated time.
6) This is the million dollar question and it makes the reader think 'what would you do?'
7) The ending is bitter sweet and reflects more in Kitty's beliefs than Chris. Seems like a 'good' wife would want to protect her husband and keep him safe at home but Kitty was more concerned with social norms (classism) or afraid of the stigmatism (mental health). West was probably shining a light on both.
9) I think this book packs a punch mostly through the thoughts of Margaret for me. West managed to cram quite a bit into such a short book. I disliked Kitty from the get-go but I think we were supposed to. She was more concerned with rules of society than reality. Margaret despite being poor was the more well adjusted person. Through Margaret's thoughts we learn a bit about mental health for the time period like it would be better for Chris to stay in the happy past.
1) The Return of the Soldier is a short book that is reputed to contain a devastating critique of class and gender norms.How do you think that West uses detailed descriptions of nature to highlight class distinctions?
Everything in this home is so perfectly controlled. Each thing has a place. And nature if of course uncontrolled, wild. I enjoyed her descriptions very much.
2) What does Baldry Court represent to each of the characters?
Kitty -- it represents her and her good taste and refinement. She see it as perfect and good.
Chris -- hates the changes and feels it has trapped him.
Margaret -- sees it as a burden, because of Chris.
3) What do you think about Jenny's descriptions of the poor and about poverty in general. Is she at all sympathetic to the poor or is she largely just reflecting her class origins?
She sees the poor as frumpy, dowdy, boring, unworthy... She is a snob. Luckily towards the end she begins to change.
4) Women played a role in WWII either on the home front, the resistance or in support of the industrial war effort. In contrast, WWI mostly demanded that the women "wait" and hold on to the societal norms. What do you think West is saying about this expectation?
I think she sees it as wrong and unrealistic. I much preferred Vera Brittain's Testament of Youth that showed how much the women could and did do.
5) Kitty, Jenny and Margaret each love Chris in their own way. What do you think Chris means to each woman?
Why does Jenny build a relationship with Margaret and distance herself from Kitty?
Margaret was his first love. The one he lost. And perhaps the one he should be with. Instead he married Kitty who represents everything he doesnt want. She is the trap that is symbolized by the house. Jenny is his cousin and probably knows him best.
6) Why do you think that Margaret agrees to shock Chris given that it will result in the loss of her own happiness?
I think it was an unselfish act. But it was the biggest ethical dilemna in the book, and it made me question what my action would have been.
7) According to some sources, the British army dealt with roughly 80,000 cases of shell shock by the end of the great war. West's novel, both written and set in wartime, starts a dialogue about how to interpret "madness" and how much to value "sanity". What do you think about the ending? If not "cured" and therefore sent back to the front, would Chris "not be quite a man"?
I don't think this is limited to WWI. We still do it today. The pressure on our military to be "normal" and hide PTSD is immense. It was really hard for me to read this -- my grandpa was a doughboy. My uncles all fought in WW2 and Korea. Another one was in Vietnam. My brother and I served in the Cold War and I saw some crazy things when we invaded Grenada. But not one person I know in my family or fellow vets will discuss anything related to PTSD or the triggers.
8) Do you see any of the feminist and socialist author reflected in Chris rather than in the narrator Jenny? Or is Chris only a symbol of the return of male dominance?
I think that Kitty's concern with social norms and status came through the strongest for me. I didn't see Chris as symbolic of the dominance of men -- I really saw him only as the person that brought to light the impact of war on women, and that the three women represented different classes of women.
9) What did you think? Did you find the book impactful? How did it compare to other books from this era in terms of its style or in terms of the themes of war, classism, feminism, and mental health?
I didnt love this one as much as I expected to. I even listened to it a second time blaming my inattention. But truthfully, the snooty Kitty reminds me of many Edith Wharton characters, and I am learning that I don't really like books about the wealthy in the early 20th century.
I am fascinated, Kelly, that you were part of the invasion of Grenada. That was a pivotal moment for me trying to understand the foreign policy of the U.S.A.
1) The Return of the Soldier is a short book that is reputed to contain a devastating critique of class and gender norms. How do you think that West uses detailed descriptions of nature to highlight class distinctions?..."
1) At first I didn’t notice how West was using nature symbolically, but when I did I was thrilled. She juxtaposes descriptions of cultivated nature against those of uncultivated or wild nature. I read this to parallel the differences between the ‘mature’ world the soldier had left behind because of his injury, and the world of ‘youth’ which he had rediscovered. But also it could comment on the refinement of an upper class versus the perceived coarseness of a lower class.
To me this line from the book sums up the point: ‘Here we esteem only controlled beauty; the wild will not have its way.’ (page 109 in the archive.org copy)
Pip wrote: "I am fascinated, Kelly, that you were part of the invasion of Grenada. That was a pivotal moment for me trying to understand the foreign policy of the U.S.A."And even though I was there, I was part of an aircrew so I really saw nothing. I think my understanding of those days came much later.
1) I think everyone has covered this point the upper class are all about control, about power over nature and forcing something into their idea of beauty while the lower classes are more in tune with nature things are chaotic but still beautiful in their own right also gardens are used to grow food which is useful rather that just ornamentation.
2) Kitty - it is her home and her status symbol.
Chris - from my understanding it is his family home but Jenny has changed everything and made it hers apart from "the boy's" room which he insisted on leaving as it was so even if he doesn't want to remember he does have a connection with it.
Jenny - I really have no idea I am guessing she has known it since she was a child, she is proud of how Kitty has presented it but it isn't really home.
Margaret - it's a place that intimidates her because it is clinical in it's beauty but it is also the place where she reconnects with Chris and comes to understand his life after her.
3) She largely reflects her class attitude but at the end of the book she understands that simple care and affection are priceless.
4) I didn't really read anything into this Kitty & Jenny both seemed content to wait and at the same time impatient to have things back to normal but I didn't see them show any desire to be doing something else for themselves unless I missed that.
5) Kitty - he is her husband and father of her child and of course he allows her to live the life she wants.
Jenny - cousin, childhood friend, someone who she wants more attention and affection from.
Margaret - first love.
I think Jenny realises that Margaret is better for Chris than Kitty is that she cares for him without wanting anything back other than his happiness.
6) Because she knows it is the right thing to do whatever happiness he currently has with her is temporary and eventually memory will return.
7) I like the doctor's view that perhaps "normal" is not the best thing to be. Ironically "curing" Chris means he is exposed to going back to war and potentially serious injury of loss of life. That said I don't believe you could let him live forever with 15 years missing and yes not going back to war would probably be a social stigma.
8) Personally I see Kitty as the dominate one. The house and grounds appear to be her design and the household is run as she wants. Chris seems like someone taking a back seat to me.
9) I enjoyed this book I can't really think of anything similar I have read. The thoughts about mental health and the impact of the war were insightful and it is a moving story.
2) Kitty - it is her home and her status symbol.
Chris - from my understanding it is his family home but Jenny has changed everything and made it hers apart from "the boy's" room which he insisted on leaving as it was so even if he doesn't want to remember he does have a connection with it.
Jenny - I really have no idea I am guessing she has known it since she was a child, she is proud of how Kitty has presented it but it isn't really home.
Margaret - it's a place that intimidates her because it is clinical in it's beauty but it is also the place where she reconnects with Chris and comes to understand his life after her.
3) She largely reflects her class attitude but at the end of the book she understands that simple care and affection are priceless.
4) I didn't really read anything into this Kitty & Jenny both seemed content to wait and at the same time impatient to have things back to normal but I didn't see them show any desire to be doing something else for themselves unless I missed that.
5) Kitty - he is her husband and father of her child and of course he allows her to live the life she wants.
Jenny - cousin, childhood friend, someone who she wants more attention and affection from.
Margaret - first love.
I think Jenny realises that Margaret is better for Chris than Kitty is that she cares for him without wanting anything back other than his happiness.
6) Because she knows it is the right thing to do whatever happiness he currently has with her is temporary and eventually memory will return.
7) I like the doctor's view that perhaps "normal" is not the best thing to be. Ironically "curing" Chris means he is exposed to going back to war and potentially serious injury of loss of life. That said I don't believe you could let him live forever with 15 years missing and yes not going back to war would probably be a social stigma.
8) Personally I see Kitty as the dominate one. The house and grounds appear to be her design and the household is run as she wants. Chris seems like someone taking a back seat to me.
9) I enjoyed this book I can't really think of anything similar I have read. The thoughts about mental health and the impact of the war were insightful and it is a moving story.
I read this a long time ago, but I did like it quite a bit. Another 1001 book that deals with similar themes, but from the soldier perspective is Regeneration. I wish I had read them closer together.
I realized this morning as I was compiling my July reading stats that I had read this book but never gotten around to reviewing and discussing. Sorry for the late post, but I do want to participate. Pre-reading questions: I have not read any of the other books by West or mentioned in these questions.
After reading questions:
1) The Return of the Soldier is a short book that is reputed to contain a devastating critique of class and gender norms.
How do you think that West uses detailed descriptions of nature to highlight class distinctions?
I think that this has been answered very well above. I listened to this book on audio and then I went back and reread most of it on Serial Reader. I was much more aware of the nature and other setting descriptions when reading the text. The differences stood out more.
2) What does Baldry Court represent to each of the characters?
To Kitty I think it represents her status and power. She wants it to look perfect and she wants people to know that she also is a major reason it is the way it is.
I think that to Chris it may have once been home, but now it is simply a symbol of all that has gone wrong and a trap for him.
3) What do you think about Jenny's descriptions of the poor and about poverty in general. Is she at all sympathetic to the poor or is she largely just reflecting her class origins?
I think that mostly she is reflecting her class origins. In the beginning I think she has no sympathy, but I have hope that in coming to learn more over the course of the story this changed.
4) Women played a role in WWII either on the home front, the resistance or in support of the industrial war effort. In contrast, WWI mostly demanded that the women "wait" and hold on to the societal norms. What do you think West is saying about this expectation?
I think she is pointing out this one group's attempt to still separate themselves from war and wait, but also just how unrealistic that is. No matter who or where you are, you are not necessarily immune to the effects of the war. The ending of this story struck me in that Kitty might be in for a very rude awakening when she meets the "cured" version of her husband. She has no idea what he might be bringing with him when he remembered his past.
5) Kitty, Jenny and Margaret each love Chris in their own way. What do you think Chris means to each woman?
Why does Jenny build a relationship with Margaret and distance herself from Kitty?
I think Chris is all about status to Kitty. If she truly loved him, although being hurt by what had happened, I also think she would want to better understand him. She does not care how the cure might impact him, only about what it means for her.
To Margaret, Chris represents the past and a happier time, and possibly what could have been.
Chris is an incredibly important to Jenny. She has known him the longest, and apparently her place in life is also due to her family relationship to him. Yet, I also think she wants what is best for him, even if that would mean a change for her.
6) Why do you think that Margaret agrees to shock Chris given that it will result in the loss of her own happiness?
I think Margaret agrees because she is used to the tough aspects of every day life and she knows that reality is necessary.
8) Do you see any of the feminist and socialist author reflected in Chris rather than in the narrator Jenny? Or is Chris only a symbol of the return of male dominance?
I don't see Chris as a symbol of male dominance, but I also don't see this story as really being about Chris. I see him being just a vehicle for considering how women were impacted by war and dealt with the realities of war even when they never left home.
9) What did you think? Did you find the book impactful? How did it compare to other books from this era in terms of its style or in terms of the themes of war, classism, feminism, and mental health?
This was very different from any other WWI book that I've read, but I also have read mostly historical fiction not books written immediately following the war. I did find it impactful in making me think specifically how the war affected these very different women. I also found it interesting to see how shell shock/PTSD was represented by an author at that time.
Daisey wrote: "The ending of this story struck me in that Kitty might be in for a very rude awakening when she meets the "cured" version of her husband. She has no idea what he might be bringing with him when he remembered his past."I love this observation. Yes, her awakening may be very rude indeed.
Diane mentioned Regeneration and Daisey mentioned PTSD as described by West so soon after the war. Regeneration was published in 1991 and really captures well some of the struggles and issues around “shell shock” from WWI but ROTS did not have the benefit of looking back as it was published in 1918. It made me wonder how many of the people West knew or interacted with were struggling as they returned from the trenches and hospitals. Also, I also loved Daisey’s insight about Kitty’s rude awakening.
I decided to re-read the book yesterday since it is short.Pre-reading questions:
1) Have you read any other novels by Rebecca West or do you know about her through any of her other works?
I also read Harriet Hume.
2) There are other books written by women on the 1001 list that deal with WWI including Pat Barker's Regeneration, Virginia Woolf's Jacob's Room and Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain. Have you read any of these?
I have read all of these.
3) If you read the Annual Read last year, Dorothy Richardson's Pilgrimage, you know that her Pointed Roofs, the first book in the series, was published in 1915, three years before The Return of the Soldier was published. Both Richardson and West had relationships with H.G. Wells. Do you think that there will be any similarities between the two author's writing styles?
I read Pilgrimage last year. I forgot that West also had a relationship with Wells. I don't really see a similarity in their writing styles.
Discussion Questions:
1) The Return of the Soldier is a short book that is reputed to contain a devastating critique of class and gender norms.
How do you think that West uses detailed descriptions of nature to highlight class distinctions?
I concur with what others have said.
2) What does Baldry Court represent to each of the characters?
For Kitty, it is a status symbol and a reflection of upper class refinement. It also is something in which she exercises control. This was Chris' childhood home, but it is no longer as he remembered it and no longer holds the same meaning. It is more of a trap for him and a reminder of how he isn't able to live the life he wants due to societal expectations.
3) What do you think about Jenny's descriptions of the poor and about poverty in general. Is she at all sympathetic to the poor or is she largely just reflecting her class origins?
She initially embodies attitudes and prejudices of the upper class. This relaxes as the story progresses.
4) Women played a role in WWII either on the home front, the resistance or in support of the industrial war effort. In contrast, WWI mostly demanded that the women "wait" and hold on to the societal norms. What do you think West is saying about this expectation?
The book shows the effect of the war on the women waiting back home. It also highlights the gender divide between the war and the homefront.
5) Kitty, Jenny and Margaret each love Chris in their own way. What do you think Chris means to each woman?
Why does Jenny build a relationship with Margaret and distance herself from Kitty?
Kitty - Perhaps she loves him in her own way, but he is more important as a means of social standing for her. If she lost hime, she would lose her status and her home.
Margaret - She truly loved him, but to to class differences, lost out to Kitty. Now she sees an opportunity for a second chance.
Jenny - Genuinely knows him, cares about him, and wants what is best for him.
6) Why do you think that Margaret agrees to shock Chris given that it will result in the loss of her own happiness?
It demonstrated her good character. She wanted to be honest and do the right thing, regardless of the consequences. She was being realistic.
7) According to some sources, the British army dealt with roughly 80,000 cases of shell shock by the end of the great war. West's novel, both written and set in wartime, starts a dialogue about how to interpret "madness" and how much to value "sanity". What do you think about the ending? If not "cured" and therefore sent back to the front, would Chris "not be quite a man"?
I concur with Diane's response to this question.
8) Do you see any of the feminist and socialist author reflected in Chris rather than in the narrator Jenny? Or is Chris only a symbol of the return of male dominance?
As others have said, I don't see Chris as a symbol of male dominance. Kitty wore the pants in that household.
9) What did you think? Did you find the book impactful? How did it compare to other books from this era in terms of its style or in terms of the themes of war, classism, feminism, and mental health?
I enjoyed the book and did find it impactful and thought-provoking.
Review thread is here; https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...