The Last Post (of quarter 3)

Life Class by Pat Barker.

As the book draws to a close Paul gets what he wanted; to drive the ambulances. The hospital wad turned against him when he gets an infection that nearly takes his life. Paul is working in the ambulances and he is much happier working there. As far as development goes the war has turned him completely around and he is so much different now. On the negative side he has a harder time relating to people on the outside and he has a hard time going back to life when he leaves the war in the end. Finally though, Paul has something to say and he, in his spare time, is able to paint two works that he believes in. He says, “It had an authority that he didn’t associate with his stumbling, uncertain, inadequate self” (254). Paul has been given perspective from the war and he has taught him about life and about fighting, it has taught him that life isn’t fair; war is just a painful waste of that life. Elinor, who is present in the novel with letters and other people talking about her, is used to show Paul’s growth. He meets Kit twice in this last part, one time angrily fighting Kit over Elinor and the next time, he is hardened and he doesn’t fight Kit over Elinor. These meeting solidify the lasting feeling of jealousy in the book, mostly over women.
Elinor seems shallow in the last fifty pages as she speaks of social outings and painting pretty landscapes. This is seen in contrast to Paul’s war paintings and demanding ambulance job and we think of Elinor as thick. When she does get a job it has nothing to do with the war. We see this as a selfish move but when the reader thinks about it, maybe she just has the most perspective out of everyone. Maybe she realizes the losses and wreckage war causes isn’t worth it. Lewis is also still around and he becomes Paul’s best friend, strong ties of brotherhood created out of sheer need for someone by your side. Lewis is used to bring compassion into the book, but also he says he has never been afraid. We know Lewis does not boast and I think he pulls Paul out of his fear. The final character I need to mention is Catherine. She is not necessarily developed but everyone talks about her as a pity case, she is German living in London and therefore highly criticized. Catherine is used to show how far Elinor is from the war; she defends Catherine’s rights and turns her back on social norms, also showing her strength.
Themes- The most prominent theme would be war in art; is it appropriate. When Paul shows Tonks his war paintings Tonks looks away and says, “…you could never show this anywhere” (296). The art teacher that knows everything about art is rejecting a work on war and so we start to wonder if it is good or bad. It is the first painting that gives Paul any emotion and feeling yet it is rejected by a “master.” Another theme is that love is destroyed by distance. Elinor and Paul like each other enough to call it love and once Elinor leaves Paul and goes home their letters become less and less frequent and when they come they are short and angry. The last theme is created when Paul’s stronghold Lewis dies. Lewis has been a friend growing alongside Paul and the theme that the strong fall first is created. “…he found Lewis’s hand and touched it. It was still warm. He thought he felt an answering pressure before it went slack” (292). Lewis had always brought Paul back to his humanity, remaining strong while he did it. The death of this man was not made a fuss over and he died while Paul did not in the same explosion and so we can draw the conclusion that the stronger leaders in the world are lost first.