`Mother Savage`

The Concept of War ' in the story , Mother Savage

War is a very prevalent theme in most literary pieces . Since it seems to be an unforgettable yet typical occurrence in the history of our world most literary make use of it as a major theme in their writing In the story Mother Savage , Guy de Maupassant introduces the story of war in the late nineteenth century . He focuses on the life of peasants and explores war in one of the most indulging angles- through the eyes of the common people . Apparently , the choice

of character in the story outlines the way by which the author wants to define war . He particularly chose an old mother that lives a simple peasant life in to emphasize how war impacts people in the most basic level Through the choice of character , the author successfully allows the reader to realize the impact of war from a more personal point of view He separates the readers from the concept of how war damages properties and wealth as he focuses on how the war can potentially damage an individual in the most appalling manner

War demands unwilling participants

In the story , the author demonstrates that soldiers are not the mere participants of the war . While soldiers willingly dedicate their lives in fighting for their country and defending the liberty of their nation they are many people who become involved with the war regardless of their willingness to play a part in it . A faithful example of this unwilling participation is that of old Mother Savage 's character Despite the fact that she did not take arms to directly participate in the war , she nevertheless did her part by allowing her son to defend their country . She clearly played a role by enduring the pain brought by allowing her son to part her side . By doing so , Mother Savage unwillingly allowed herself to take part in a war that she cannot escape and solve . In addition to playing the role of a mother of a soldier Mother Savage also took another role by allowing Prussians to live with her in her house . Basically , she fed and treated the four Prussians that lived with her . It was as if she took the role of a temporary mother for the four men who were otherwise treated as the enemies of her nation

War instills savagery and yields such as well

The plot of the story clearly demonstrated that war can make monsters out of ordinary and seemingly harmless people . This was clearly shown again , in the character of old Mother Savage . As shown carefully in the story , Mother Savage was a well respected woman who was quite warm loving and kind hearted . In the absence of her son , she opened her home to four soldiers whom she treated with care , despite the fact that they were considered as enemies of their nation . In exchange for her kindness , she also yielded the same level of concern from the...