AP Essay 2004 B

The most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in scenes in which a death or deaths take place. Choose a novel or play and write a well-organized essay in which you show how a specific death scene helps to illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
 
With death comes the opening of new doors. Although one soul leaves the earth, there is a legacy left behind that brings to light questions and understandings. In the absence of someone, emotions are expressed that cannot be felt elsewhere. Pat Barker’s Life Class symbolically uses the death of Lewis in order to reiterate that after war, morals and love are never the same. During war, those at the front line are often isolated from their loved ones. This long distance establishment causes a rift between two lovers when they are set apart from each other.

Death reveals the true feelings among those who are emotionally involved. Paul at first feels a level of intimacy with Elinor as he writes to her frequently throughout the war. But with the arrival of the “freckled-faced schoolboy” (165) Lewis that becomes his companion during the war, Paul begins to question his feelings of love. Before the war, Paul believed in the fantasies of unbridled love and affection. Slowly over the grim experiences that Lewis and Paul share, Paul ends up “[loving] him” but “it was too late” (304). With his death, Paul realizes his true feelings for Lewis, something that could not be formally recognized while he was still around. Death is powerful because it causes people to remember the deepest feelings for that person who died. War, the bringer of death, is therefore one of the most prominent emotional exposers. The traumas experienced by war brought those who survived closer than any other situation has. When people fear for their lives, they reveal their true nature. To Paul and Elinor, their opinions shaped by the war were passed through the medium of art.

Death changes the outlook on artistic expression because the morals of those involved have changed. The symbol of art occurs frequently throughout the book. The lives of the main characters centered on art before the war conflict, each member sharing similar ideals over the “life class” (1). But with the arrival of war, a change in what media should represent occurs. Paul, although reluctant to embrace this change, finally cracks with the death of Lewis. Like love, Paul must accept the fact that what was past is now irretrievable. Elinor, who has not seen anything of the war, believes that paint should reflect “the place [they] knew and loved when [they] were growing up together . . .” (303).  She is the static character through the novel, providing juxtaposition to Paul. Lewis’ death causes Paul to take a strong stance in war’s purpose. The change in Paul’s beliefs reflects the influence of war on morals. Paul wants the world to learn a lesson from the war and use it in everyday media. Contrastingly, Elinor states “war doesn’t fundamentally matter,” Paul doesn’t believe her. Having been so engulfed by the war first hand, Paul has actually experienced loss while Elinor has been isolated the whole time. Lewis’ death represents the fundamental difference of Paul and Elinor; one participated in the war while the other watched from the sidelines.

Lewis’ death represents the transformation of past beliefs into new ones. Death bears a heavy burden on those who are affected by it. Feelings felt towards one person can change because war causes people to derive the true feelings of their loved ones. The empty feelings also caused by death can lead one to question the cause of such pain. War, in this case, is to blame. But nothing can be done to rewrite the past, only the way people cope with it can change.