Essay on Louis de Bernieress Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

Louis de Bernieress Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Louis de Bernieres uses three principal techniques to portray the effects of war so powerfully in his book. These techniques are the powerful narrative, strong pictorial language, and black humour. Above all, the message is conveyed in the narrative, especially when Louis De Bernieres graphically describes the war’s impact on the soldiers who are fighting for their country. At first, the soldiers are united in their fight against the enemy â€Å"you are all young and strong, overflowing with life, and you are all in this shit together† – page 38. The mood at the beginning is positive, so much so that the â€Å"soldiers grew to love each other† – page 38. They were excited about being†¦show more content†¦All their illusions disappeared: â€Å"We fought and froze and died for an empire that has no purpose† – page 151. The war seems to deaden the soldiers’ souls. An example of this is on page 134 â€Å"I could think of nothing at all. I was an automaton without emotion or hope†. In the end the soldiers break down totally - they degenerate into despair and become like animals, as shown on page 232: â€Å"Within the space of a few days we had become skeletons, rooting for food like pigs.† The horror and hostility of the war made the soldiers despair so much that they were happy to die – â€Å"Dear mother, I came into this world in a state of innocence and leave it so utterly wearied that I am contented to die.† This was how they ended up after all the atrocities they had witnessed and committed. â€Å"War is a dirty business. We all have to do terrible things.† Mandras almost God like in his beauty at the beginning, kills an old man; the war seemed to deaden all their feelings and sympathy. They are left without â€Å"emotion or hope†. By describing this degradation of morale and emotions, Louis de Bernieres powerfully shows the physical and mental effect of war on the soldiers. A good example of this deterioration is Mandras. Before the war he was physically beautiful, harmonious in the way he moved, and strong. He had â€Å"slim hips†¦sharp shoulders†¦a taught stomach† that made him look powerful and sculpted. However, after the war, heShow MoreRelatedCaptain Corelli3725 Words   |  15 PagesCAPTAIN CORELLI’S MANDOLIN TEACHERS’ NOTES This study guide is aimed primarily at students of English Literature, who are studying Louis de Bernià ¨res’s novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin in the second year of Advanced GCSE studies but will be useful for any students wishing to look at the way in which a novel is adapted for the screen. The guide focuses on the following areas: From novel to screen: Narrative adaptation Characters Representation of nationalities Representation of war Music LanguageRead MoreThe Two Sides to Every Greek: Hellene vs. Romoi1844 Words   |  8 PagesLouis De Bernieress novel, Corellis Mandolin, is a story about time and change. The story itself explores many aspects of life such as love, betrayal, chaos, tradition, history and numerous other elements that are often warped over time. De Bernieres notes that he tried to be as true to history as possible. But beneath the layers of time, change and history there is another element of Greek culture that parallels the stories within the n ovel. There is a continuous theme of the conflicting forces