It's not that hard a thing to notice! Euripides seems to have noticed, for example.
Whenever there's a major cultural shift, it's hard not to present the decade leading up to it as static, and of course it can feel that way to people who lived through it. It's not that there wasn't plenty of exhaustion and cynicism about turn-of-the century wars, but if you're a schoolkid in 1914 in a militaristic society, that's not a persepective you're likely to see a lot of.
I think Tolstoy is fairly skeptical about the idea of personal heroism in war, or at least it's possible to interpret War and Peace that way. I should get around to reading some W&P criticism one of these days.
Awww, Pierre. It's so nice to be liked! I'm so glad people are finally starting to realize how great a guy he is! And to think, he finally has all these friends, just when he's in a position to help them out financially - what a lucky coincidence! <3
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2016-05-05 06:43 pm (UTC)Whenever there's a major cultural shift, it's hard not to present the decade leading up to it as static, and of course it can feel that way to people who lived through it. It's not that there wasn't plenty of exhaustion and cynicism about turn-of-the century wars, but if you're a schoolkid in 1914 in a militaristic society, that's not a persepective you're likely to see a lot of.
I think Tolstoy is fairly skeptical about the idea of personal heroism in war, or at least it's possible to interpret War and Peace that way. I should get around to reading some W&P criticism one of these days.
Awww, Pierre. It's so nice to be liked! I'm so glad people are finally starting to realize how great a guy he is! And to think, he finally has all these friends, just when he's in a position to help them out financially - what a lucky coincidence! <3