Terror in \"The Tell-Tale Heart\"

Terror in "The Tell-Tale Heart"

your purchase.Different points-of-view allow us to understand things we may otherwise never grasp. Two different perspectives pertaining to war that give us plenty to contemplate are "The Death of a Soldier" by Wallace Stevens and "Two Soldiers" by William Faulkner. Each author provides a look at war and soldiers specifically. In "The Death of a Soldier," Stevens looks the death of a soldier, as a moment in time that contains no glory or honor. In "Two Soldiers," Faulkner sees the personal pain involved with war, especially the son leaving his family. Both works take a serious look at the affects of war, personally and universally.

In "The Death of a Soldier," Stevens' view is blunt and nihilistic, realizing that things go on just as usual even when a life has been shed on the battlefield. He writes, "Death is absolute and without memorial" (7), he writes. Death is "expected" (1) in such circumstances and we should not be surprised when a soldier falls. This view seems to indicate there is not regard for human life. Soldiers die for causes on the battlefield every day while the bureaucrats in Washington go on with their lives. The universal impact of this death is miniscule.

In "Two Soldiers," we see a similar view on war. Pete feels the need to fight and weighs the decision heavy before committing. He understands what it means. His brother, however, cannot comprehend the dangers involved. Pete feels compelled to fight for reasons he cannot fully explain. He tells his younger brother that people do not go to war for "fun" (86). Pete's brother wants to go to war to serve alongside him. He envisions himself fighting the "little uns" (83), while his brother fights the "big uns" (83). Even when Pete tells him he is too little to go to war, he tells him he could "chop wood and tote the water" (83) for the soldiers that were big enough. His making his way to Memphis illustrates that he is much like his bother in that he feels compelled to do the right thing.

The pieces differ in their approach toward the pain of the war. Stevens view is from a distance; we know what happens in war but maybe if we stand far enough away, we will not be touched by it personally. A soldier dies but even the wind and the clouds move through the sky, untouched. In "Two Soldiers," Faulkner focuses on the pain of separation with Pete's little brother and mother. Their anguish is heavy and real and it is enough to make a little boy to walk 80 miles to Memphis to be with his brother. Stevens sees the pain of war but he also sees how easy it is to overlook. Faulkner shows us how the pain of loss is too real to ignore.