Nearly a year ago, I wrote a post about the lack of World War I stories in my literary education (with one notable exception: Rilla of Ingleside, which gives us the Great War from the perspective of Canadian women on the home front). That post coincided with my discovery of the Maisie Dobbs series and the first season of Downton Abbey, both of which I adore. And since writing that post, I’ve been noticing – and reading – more and more stories about World War I and the 1920s (Hattie Big Sky, Broken Music, Promise Me This, The American Heiress, the Phryne Fisher series). All these books either use the war as a backdrop or begin with its long shadow still hanging over England, Australia and even the U.S. And I’ve found myself wondering why these stories, largely absent from our culture for the last few decades, seem to be enjoying a renaissance now.
It isn’t just due to Downton, though admittedly the series has captured the imagination of millions of fans. (I’m loving the second season so far, and have high hopes for a third.) And it’s certainly not limited to only this year, or even the “Great Recession”: Hattie Big Sky was published in 2006, and Jacqueline Winspear published Maisie Dobbs in 2004. But we are particularly enamored of these stories right now. Why?
Have we all, as a culture, simply recognized this huge gap in our literary and historical education, and begun trying to fill it? (Not likely, I admit – though as a bookworm I’d love it if that were the case.) Is this war now far enough away – nearly 100 years gone – that we can start to think of it as “history,” instead of a black mark on our not-so-distant past? Are Americans finally waking up to the worldwide significance of this war that barely touched them in comparison to the French, the British, the Germans and others? Or – and I think this might be the reason – have our recent worldwide circumstances left us looking for both escapism and ways to cope?
The austerity of the so-called “Great Recession” is, by and large, not nearly as pinching as the straitened economies of wartime and depression. But we’ve seen a lot of upheaval in the last few years, from the subprime crisis to the Arab Spring protests, from the 10th anniversary of 9/11 to rapid changes in the developing world. We relish stories of troubled times during our own troubled times, either as a means of comparison (“it could always be worse!”) or as a means to cope (“they survived and so will we”). At the same time, we love stories of opulence to give us a bit of escapism (and Americans have long loved stories of English great houses and the families who fill them). World War I tales – particularly those of the English aristocracy – can give us both.
Perhaps we also find it easier to handle stories of a big, world-shattering war, with a clearly defined enemy (the one on the other side of the trenches), than we do to comprehend our own small wars, which are so scattered and secretive and confusing, and seem to make little sense even to those who fight in and direct them. For Americans, especially, our role in the world has become confusing, fraught with huge questions about power and responsibility, about obligation and trust, and how to navigate being a semi-superpower in a world fast losing patience with superpowers.
Judging by the popularity of Downton, Maisie Dobbs, War Horse and other stories, I think this trend will endure for a while longer. And while it does, I’ll find plenty to interest and challenge me in these stories, and many characters to admire.
Have you noticed the flood of World War I stories lately? What do you think is the cause?
Well said! I think in the case of WWI, we know how the story ends – what happens to the class structure in Europe and where those characters are headed. There is some comfort in that knowledge. Our own lives, in comparison, are still a big unknown. So we look to the past for some sign of what is to come.
Have definitely noticed the flood. And I am fascinated by this view of things. I always notice the stark difference between Rilla’s experience with war and our own. For Rilla, her entire world was at war. The women at home, the teenage boys looking ahead, and of course the men overseas. But we have soldiers in dangerous situations all around the globe and can still pretty much go about our daily lives without feeling that. This kind of disconnect is certainly easier on the home front, but it surely can’t be as good for the whole.
I so agree with everything in this post. It’s not WWI, (WWII) but I picked up Unbroken this weekend. One of the smartest, wisest, most well-read women I know told me it was the greatest book she’s ever read. I can’t wait to get started!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1400064163/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1328548637&sr=8-1
The more I read about WWII, the more I wonder about WWI and how it contributed to the second world war. Could that be a correlation? Or perhaps writers have noticed the prevalence of WWII material and decided to delve into another war to set themselves apart. Interesting to consider!
I, too, started Unbroken over the weekend. Very well written but I’m not sucked in quite yet.
I totally agree, it does seem as if WWI stories are everywhere right now! Part of the enhanced awareness is probably (okay, certainly) due to Downton Abbey. (I ordered Season 2 on Blu-Ray and it’s coming tomorrow, whee!). But I think you’re right that it is interesting that WWI stories are popular now, at this historical moment, more so than a few years ago. I think the first commenter is spot on that we know how that story ends and so it’s a bit comforting to sink into a time that was terrible as it was happening but that did eventually resolve. WWII stories would have the same effect, but they are always popular.
If you’re interested in a good between-the-wars novel and especially in reflecting on how the between-the-wars period impacted WWII, have you read “The Remains of the Day” yet? It takes place after WWII, but most of the book is spent on the main character’s reflections of life as a butler in a great house in the 1930s. There is a lot of stuff about how the Treaty of Versailles contributed to setting up the circumstances that allowed WWII to take place. Not earth-shattering, but interesting and it’s extremely well written. One of my favorite books!
What an interesting observation; I don’t think I’d noticed it but I can’t disagree. I don’t have a better explanation to offer than yours – which are great. But isn’t it funny how fiction sees trends in subject matter? I rarely get why, but it does. I like your observation about the timing, of it becoming “history” to us now; but WWII has enjoyed pretty serious fictional coverage for years now. Why WWII rather than WWI?
On a related note, I’m contemplating the fact that we’re looking at losing the last of our WWII vets to old age these days. I hope we’ve gotten out of them all the first-hand, primary-source history we can get, because we’re soon to lose our chance. I think of my grandfather and all the stories he has to share and wonder if I’ve heard them all.
I have also noticed it! Like you, I’ve long loved Rilla, and Elswyth Thane’s books set in that era — but till my recent Jacqueline Winspear/Peter Todd discoveries, I had read little else. I think what struck me most about the Maisie Dobbs books is how much they’re still haunted by the war more than a decade after its end.
And, obviously, I meant Charles Todd. I’ve got to start proofing the comments I leave on blogs!
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