War by Luigi Pirandello

This writing beautifully captures the individual conflict that arises from war, especially in the case of parents. There is the conflict between mourning the loss of loved ones in war and comforting yourself that the loss of your loved one is for the country that you love. The use of dialogue is especially powerful in conveying this shared experience of loss. There is also sense of understanding between these people. The intimate setting- inside a stuffy carriage also helps to portray this intimate bond. The most powerful and interesting part of the story is the unexpected ending. The fat man in the story is the epitome of this conflict. He keeps talking about how the loss of his son was for the love of his country and that he does not mourn his son because he died satisfied. However, the tension arises when the woman asks him if his son is really dead. At this point, I was expecting him to accept the fact that he was and continue laughing but instead he breaks down. This just shows how disillusioned the war makes you. The pain of loss is so much that you try to cover it up by making excuses such as the love for your country. In the end we know that the loss of loved one is far more important than the love for your country and fighting for your country in war.