American Literature: The Influence of War on an Author's Narrative Perspective

Throughout the history of literature, war and peace are often used in juxtaposition of each other as a means of provoking emotion and conscience thought about the consequences that war can have on a person, society, or even an entire nation. In two different stories by two different authors the topic of war and peace are presented in a variety of measures. In the novel Night by Elie Wiesel the reader witnesses war through the eyes of the author (and autobiographer) who is forced into a nightmare that no man or woman should ever endure. In Lysistrata by Aristophanes readers will be able to recognize the humor that is infused throughout the story as a means of lightening the very grave concept of a civil war. The two authors are very effective in provoking the reader's thoughts towards subject of war and peace and at the same time each author is able to drive that thought into a different and unique direction.

In the novel Night by Elie Wiesel readers are put as witnesses to the horrors of the holocaust through the eyes of a fifteen-year old boy who also happens to be the autobiographer of the novel. It is through Elie's vision that there are certain truths that may have been lost to all are able to surface. It is also through Elie's unique account of loss and terror that perhaps the world may learn how to prevent such a catastrophe from attacking any race of people ever again. Carol Danks notes that war is presented in horrible and unbelievable ways in Night (103). Readers see the Jewish people presented as animals time and time again throughout the novel: " 'Get on with you, lazy swine' " (17). The Nazis treat the Jewish people as animals and think no less of them. When reading quotes like the previous, one can not imagine treating another human being in this fashion because it goes against all the principles that hold people together in a society. The lives of the Jewish people were not valued at all by the Nazis: " 'If anyone is missing, you'll all be shot, like dogs...' " (22). It forces the reader to wonder how a life can be valued so lowly when there is so much love and joy in the world around themselves presently. The fact that the lives of the Jews meant less to the Nazis than a dog shows the horrors that are possible when people are pushed to the brink of war: "The pointed a finger, as though choosing a cattle or merchandise" (47).

Daniel R. Schwarz also recognizes that though it is possible that Night will not speak to some readers in the same way that it will to others (222), it is almost a certainty that one will be able to recognize the hatred and cruelty that can be inherent in all of mankind. War is able to bring out the worst in anyone: " 'Meir. Meir, my boy! Don't you recognize? I'm your father...you're hurting me...you're killing your father!' "(96). The hatred that readers witness in Night is a type of hatred that can lie dormant in the hearts of anyone and only come about if provoked by a malicious force; in this case that force is Hitler and his Nazi regime. Readers must be able to recognize that the people committing the murderous crimes are everyday people forced into a war that enables them to release an unchained cruelty that is not bound by any rules of society: "This sympathetic, intelligent youth was suddenly no longer the same person. His eyes gleamed with desire" (52). Elie Wiesel shows the fatal affects of what can happen when man can not control himself.

For readers not to read this autobiography as a true account should be considered a crime itself because of the losses that the war has brought upon an abundance of households. The reason that Night should affect readers greatly is because it is a very personal story. It is about family and the abrupt and sudden losses that occur to that family. To see such a normal family ripped to shreds by the malicious human nature that dwelled in the hearts of the Nazis should warn every one of the repercussions and damages that such acts will cause. Not only was almost an entire generation of people lost to the Holocaust but so were the dreams of every individual who was lost in the Nazi "purging." Daniel R. Schwarz mentions that anyone reading Night should be able to relate to the love that binds a family as was with the Wiesel family and be drawn into that love and away from the malignant forces at work in this world that drive the wheels of war (230). Night is a piece of literature that can prevent individuals from recklessly following in the same warpath as the Nazis did and then use peace as a beacon that individuals should constantly strive towards in life.

In the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes humor is used brilliantly in a variety of ways to portray war. Though the play is much lighter in nature than the novel Night, it still is an effective story in demonstrating the need for peace instead of war. With the use of humor Aristophanes created a story that could easily have been a drama or tragedy but instead managed to create a unique war-related comedy. Aristophanes presents war as being pointless because it will cause the individuals partaking in war to miss the greater fruits that are available in life. Lysistrata, also the plays title character, takes the prevention of war into her own hands because she believes in a society of peace and only sees salvation in the ending of war: "Lysistrata: 'the hope and salvation of Hellas lies within the WOMEN!' " (18). Mary-Jane Fox recognizes that Lysistrata is not only stating the need for salvation but also a progressive idea at her time that it is only women who can save the nation (13). Aristophanes consistently uses humor to drive his story but it still is in order to keep the men of Greece from going to war. It seems that Aristophanes himself is against war and strives for the time of peace that follows at the end of his play. The humor in Lysistrata is conveyed both directly and indirectly: "Lysistrata: 'So effectively that not one husband will take up his spear against another... or unsheathe his sword' " (19). The play deals with sex and sexuality in a comedic fashion and also is able to show the humor that can be found in the foolishness of men who deem war as utterly important.

Some of the direct humor in the play is derived from the strong-headed nature of men and their beliefs that men are the only sex with the right answers on governing the country. What the men don't see is that they are not the only people living in the nation of Greece and fail to recognize that their war will affect everyone else who is living under the republic. This is another instance of consequence that many people do not think of when starting a war. Mary-Jane Fox also notices that it is only through the eyes of Lysistrata that she has the hindsight to realize the pain and suffering that will come from a long, bloody civil war (18). The Koryphaios of Men is a character who continually makes a fool of himself by believing men are superior to women in any aspect of life: "Koryphaios of Men: 'Never been confronted with such backtalk. Can't allow it. Somebody pick up a log and pulverize that brass' " (42). When the Koryphaios of Men is prevented with the challenge of a woman's opinion he instantly dismisses it as nonsense and attempts to revert to violence as a means of silencing his problem. It seems that Lysistrata has noticed this continual problem with the men of their country that when men are presented with a problem that they would rather fight their way through it instead of using reason and knowledge. It could also be that Aristophanes himself believed that war is not the answer to every dispute that is placed in the way of Greece and that maybe a simple diplomatic solution could be used to solve disputes amongst bordering nations. Aristophanes could have also lost someone dear to him in a war such as he describes and does not want anyone else to suffer as he has. It could be this reason why he presents war as a comical situation because it is simply foolish to go to war and that perhaps Aristophanes can shame the powerful viewers of his play to consider an alternative to war in the future.

Though Aristophanes uses abstinence as his cure for the war one should not dismiss his true message that is infused throughout the play. Aristophanes does not present war as comical, he only uses comedy in order to reach a different group of people and inform them of the necessity of peace that every nation should have. His conclusion of the play displays the salvation of Greece and a fairy-tale ending to the lives of the Greeks: "Lysistrata: 'Each man stand by his wife, each wife by her husband. Dance to the gods' glory, and thank them for the happy ending. And, from now on, please be careful. Let's not make the same mistakes again' " (112). The ending is happy and shows the consequences of preventing a war. The consequence is one that everyone could have wished for and there has been no death or destruction in the process.

Both Aristophanes and Elie Wiesel are able to infuse their own experiences and views on war and peace in their respective pieces of literature in an effective manner that will prompt readers to contemplate their own beliefs on the subject of war and what they consider to be peace. In the novel Night no human should be able to cause the pain and suffering to any individual that he has endured. It seems that this is what Elie Wiesel is warning his readers against; the horrors and loss that will settle upon one's soul when war can enter one's heart with a fiery passion. Night can definitely serve as a means of prevention to another type of Holocaust because it is a personal story that many people can find some type of relation towards and one can not help but feel utter sorrow for the losses that Elie and others like him have suffered at the cruel hands of fellow men. It is then that readers should strive for the type of peace that Aristophanes presents in Lysistrata. If people will be happy with their families and settle their differences in a nonviolent fashion then true happiness will settle in and be soothing to one's soul, hopefully preventing such hatred from ever pouring out of one's heart. It is the light of peace that everyone in the world should strive for and Aristophanes and Elie Wiesel both demonstrate this goal to readers within their works.

Works Cited

Danks, Carol. "Using the literature of ElieWiesel and selected poetry to teach the Holocaust in the secondary school history classroom" Social Studies. 87 (May/June 1996) 101 - 106.

Fox, Mary-Jane. "The Idea of Women in Peacekeeping: Lysistrata and Antigone" International Peacekeeping (Frank Cass). 8 (Summer 2001) 14 - 23.

Schwarz, Daniel R. "The Ethics of Reading Elie Wiesel's Night" Style 32 (Summer 1998) 221 - 243.