Analyse the effect that ‘Journeys End’ might have had on a first night audience in December 1928.What view of war and soldiers does it put across?

World War I was triggered by political issues. It was confidently believed that the war would be over by Christmas, however it lasted for four long years. During those bitter years of fighting millions of young men lived and died in the trenches either side of no-mans land. Although millions lost their lives the British public threw massive parties celebrating their victory over Germany and the Triple Alliance. At the time the British public were unaware of the horrific nature of the Great War; instead they saw it as a glory filled victory, well fought and full of heroes. R C Sherriff’s play ‘Journeys End’ was written to give an insight into what life was really like at the front-line at a level the general public could understand and relate to, the play therefore would have had considerable shock horror value.

The play is set in 1918, the last year of the war. The German army was once again preparing a massive attack against the allies and it is against this threatening ...