This series will compare three fictional accounts of war widely taught in American high schools. It will illuminate how the depiction of war evolved from the romance-tinged realism of The Red Badge of Courage through the unsparing naturalism of All Quiet on the Western Front to the knowing irony of The Things They Carried. How are heroism, glory, honor, patriotism, and sacrifice portrayed in each? How did the image of the soldier change over the century between The Red Badge of Courage and The Things They Carried? How did the presentation of battle change? What meaning does each work assign to war? Prepare for combat in your classroom by joining us to explore these and other questions.
