With the imminent threat of world war hanging over Europe, fear and hostility have cast a shadow over the continent. A war that would nearly wipe out a generation of young men became a reality for writers, poets, scholars and artists who left an impression that will never be forgotten. The First World War proved to be a dark and tumultuous period in European history that would later be a source of inspiration for contemporary authors, whose writings explore the influences and effects of the Great War on this period. Through some of the iconic literary works of fiction based on war, a broader understanding of the difficulties and brutality involved is established using elements of verisimilitude. Verisimilitude can be defined as “the appearance of reality in dramatic or non-dramatic fiction”. The technique attempts to present a realistic view of an event and evoke its credibility for readers. Verisimilitude has its origins in Aristotle's theory of mimesis which applied to artists attempting to represent reality in their work. The word itself comes from the 17th century, and the technique became popular in novels in the 20th century. In historical fiction, its goal may be to promote historicity and create a more powerful emotional attachment between the reader and the text. Verisimilitude provides a platform for depicting brutality in a realistic light. Two novels that rely heavily on creating verisimilitude are Timothy Findley's The Wars and Pat Barker's The Ghost Road. Both incorporate verisimilitude as a tool to engage and maintain a balance of realism within the work of fiction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay In The Wars, the protagonist, a Canadian soldier named Robert Ross, struggles with internal conflicts of nostalgia and regret, while simultaneously waging the real war in Europe. Findley tells much of the story through the eyes of a journalist who tries to uncover the truth about Robert Ross using the testimonies of relatives and friends who knew Robert. The novel's complex narrative creates a non-linear plot that revolves around both the journalist and Robert Ross. The method the reporter uses to tell the story produces an element of credibility because it provides more than one perspective on Robert's life. Findley incorporates elements of verisimilitude to create a piece of historical fiction while presenting the underlying real-life brutality on the battlefield. Likewise, The Ghost Road achieves verisimilitude by following the story of Billy Prior and William Rivers, British citizens who play different roles in the war effort. Prior is a soldier from small town Scotland who experiences war first-hand, just like Robert Ross. Prior's experience in the trenches as an officer returning for his second tour in France gives him an advantage but does not save him from the horrors that war brings to all. William Rivers, a psychiatrist working in a hospital ward in England, presents a non-linear story oscillating between the hospital and memories of his time with a tribe of headhunters in the Pacific. This allows Barker to tell two stories from the perspective of the same character, both inside and outside of the war. Barker thus attempts to express the true futility of the war, by telling the story of what becomes a “lost generation” for Western Europe. In order to show the importance of this common theme, plausibility requiresa serious tone. Rivers' work at the hospital maintains a believable and often dark tone, while his life with the headhunters incorporates elements of spirituality that The Wars does not address. Successful use of verisimilitude can contribute to the coherence of a novel and promote its credibility. Whether it's Barker's use of gruesome, detailed imagery or Findley's explicit allusions and historical accuracy, both novels achieve verisimilitude. It is the specific techniques used by each author that distinguish the two war novels and their realistic perspectives. Wars are riddled with detailed and vivid animal images that are often accompanied by brutality. Findley evokes realism in these scenes through pity for the slaughter of innocent animals. During Robert's time on the SS Massanabie, an injured horse is described with his "broken leg stretched behind him, so violently shattered that it showed the bone..." while "he groaned and tried to get up but his efforts were completely useless. With the visible bones and moans of the horse, a mixture of visual and auditory imagery creates a brutality coupled with the realistic elements of the horse's suffering, evoking sympathy for the horse. The images drive verisimilitude because they reinforce the relatable agony and also make the war more difficult to deal with. Horses become the symbol of the innocence and bravery of the men on the front line, slaughtered needlessly and brutally in combat. The pain associated with seeing animals suffer is presented in the character of Rodwell, a soldier fighting alongside Robert in the trenches. Rodwell arrives at his new post to find soldiers “slaughtering rats and mice” and is forced to “witness the murder of a cat” (Findley 150). This sadistic behavior becomes a coping mechanism that distracts the men from the horrible conditions of the trenches and the brutal human events they witness. However, the continued unnecessary massacres push Rodwell to commit suicide, singling him out as the only soldier to attempt to end this barbarity. Despite his suicide, a trait normally associated with poor mental health, he is ironically presented as the more sensible soldier in this situation. This highlights how war destroys the mental health of soldiers, which the characters express by committing heinous and barbaric atrocities. To maintain relatability, Findley includes two different methods of dealing with the brutal elements of war through the use of animal imagery. The soldiers come from a variety of age groups and social backgrounds, making it entirely natural that each man would have different methods of dealing with brutality, making Findley's portrayal more believable. During the barn burning scene, Mickle says "a prayer for Robert Ross...for a quick death" and as Robert narrowly escapes, he utters "'[t]he dog'" to several times before passing out (Findley 212). Despite the unlikely event that fifty horses were caught in a barn fire, Robert and Mickle continue to express shared human values. However, they do not become barbaric savages because they represent a higher order of men with compassion and understanding of war. Compassion is the important human characteristic that is often lost or forgotten in war, but which Robert and Mickle express in this scene. Robert's concern for the dog and Mickle's concern for Robert both create verisimilitude by expressing human values ​​despite brutal situations. They demonstrate a type of courage that Findley doesn't often include in The Wars,but in doing so, Findley gives Ross and Mickle more altruistic qualities, allowing for a more sympathetic protagonist. Nature continues to play an important role in creating realism by adding common threads to a world filled with absurd and horrific realities. The detailed description of the setting, particularly the adverse weather conditions, becomes another method Findley uses to create verisimilitude. It features a tumultuous setting in Belgium, where weather conditions make the war even more arduous. On the voyage to Europe, "[t]he raging storm was real and it wreaked havoc in every quarter of the ship... jugs of milk and water crashed and whirled on the bridges” (Findley 57). Here, the description of the ship's journey across the stormy Atlantic not only triggers the common knowledge of the Atlantic climate, creating a sense of credibility, but also creating a pathetic fallacy and foreshadowing the impending dangers of war. This can also be seen as a metaphor for men entering into battle and eventually dying. Away from the front, Mrs. Ross attempts to cope with her son's involvement in the war by “…chasing storms” and taking “pleasure in the rain and snow” (Findley 151). Along with the brutal conditions she imagines her son endures, she unnecessarily exposes herself to the elements. It is natural for a mother to grieve at the absence of her son; Findley uses his exposure to harsh weather as another form of foreshadowing as well as to continue the verisimilitude. Along with weather, realistic descriptions of the physical environment, such as the use of historically accurate cities and regions, help create relatability and credibility. Upon Robert's arrival in France, Findley provided a description of Ypres and Flanders, stating that "[t]he rear, that is to say to the southwest, is the only landmark physics worth mentioning: Kemmel Hill” (Findley 75). Kemmel Hill is actually southwest of Ypres and was a key strategic point to control during the war. Findley's use of specific and authentic monuments from the region allows him to maintain geographic and historical realism. This becomes useful later when Findley introduces the brutal war sequences, as they are made more believable by the realistic setting and maintain the element of historicity. Horrific depictions of violence through visual imagery are perhaps the most effective technique for displaying the brutality of war. especially when associated with plausibility. As the shattering artillery barrage fell on the men in their trenches, “...the earth shook. Before. Back. Before. Half back...filled with smoke and things started falling. Helmets, books, canned goods…the hammering of guns was less of a noise than a brutal sensation of being struck repeatedly” (Findley 121-122). This description uses three different forms of sensory imagery: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, all of which personify the artillery barrage as some kind of impending external force attacking the men. This highlights elements of the brutal conditions that the soldiers are forced to experience and relive, with the aim of connecting the barrage to a relevant experience. At the hands of the flamethrower, "[t]he ground was on fire [and] [t]roops were annihilated and others brought forward...but no one believed it" (Findley 147). Although the novel was published long after the first use of flamethrowers, Findley describes them as a new and incredible invention, suited to the reaction that soldiers experiencing for the first time with thisweapon form would react. Historical accuracy allows Findley to present the brutal imagery of destruction, without evoking much shock or doubt, and thus conveying verisimilitude. One of the most horrific instances in the novel occurs when Robert Ross is sexually assaulted by his own fellow soldiers. Robert finds himself helpless in a dark room as four men pull "his lips until he thinks his jaw is going to break...he has lost his sense of gravity...someone... hit him in the face...all he could feel. was the form of the man that entered into him, and the terrible force of the force with which it was done” (Findley 193). This bold and rapid action evokes discomfort through shocking images that showcase the brutality soldiers face in war. The visual senses are impaired in this scene, and it is only told through kinesthetic images, which provide more disturbing descriptions of the reality of the situation. Ross's depictions of the despair and horror experienced take place in a moment of utter confusion and chaos, making it the most brutal point in the novel. Findley's method of suspending the reader's disbelief relies on historicity and gruesome, detailed images, similar to those of Pat Barker. in The Ghost Road. However, Barker has a more scientific approach to his use of imagery. It begins with a description of the wounded soldier, Hallet, in the hospital with his "exposed eye [which] was buried deep in his skull...[t]he herniated brain throbbed, resembling a strange underwater life form, the mouth of 'a sea anemone perhaps', which clearly shows that he is in very critical condition. Barker combines medical terms with the use of similes to create a clearer picture of a hospital scene. A realistic hospital ward would encompass the bloody brutality of how these men were affected upon their return, and this was highlighted by the horrified reactions of the relatives who visited them. Amidst the heavy war sequences, Billy Prior strays from any form of morality and uses a local war-damaged French boy to relieve his sexual tension. Prior records in his diary: "I pulled down his pants and his drawers and began to poke around and talk... A smell of chrysanthemum left in the water too long, then a deeper, friendlier smell... » (Barker 248). This scene differs from the previous hospital scene because it is a first-person account of Prior's diary and stimulates the olfactory senses with everyday flowers to distract from the heinous actions. In a way, Prior takes a break from the war, but still shows signs that he has been affected by the blood and tragedy that the war has already brought him. After the counterattack on the front line, Prior wrote: “[B]rain exposed, lots of blood, lots of stuff, no blood on the side of his neck. A missing eye... I thought: what's the point? He’s going to die anyway” (Barker 196). Although it may seem pessimistic, Prior tells the story straightforwardly in his journal because he honestly believes it will end with Hallet's death. Prior's matter-of-fact tone suggests that there is no way for Hallet to recover from the brutality he suffered. Much of the novel takes place at William Rivers' hospital where he is a therapist working with soldiers returning from horrific experiences in the field. in front. At the hospital, Rivers believes that "...the rules of medicine are one thing, the rules of ritual drama are another", but then the diagnosis of the "quite unusually virulent" Spanish flu is made at Apatient (Barker 53). . When Barker explores the "magical" or "witchcraft" element of Rivers' medical techniques, she also incorporates real-life medical cases to maintain a sense of balance. This brief inclusion of factual evidence is enough to counterbalance the magical realm and maintain the idea that Rivers is a real doctor capable of actually helping brutalized patients. A conversation in the infirmary between Rivers and Wansbeck begins with Rivers asking, "'[and] the dream?' » "It's not a dream." “The apparition, then. » “Oh, we still see each other a lot.” “Do you ever miss a party?” A slight smile” (Barker 224). The conversation's divergence into the supernatural realm, which leaves notions of credibility behind, is attributed to Wansbeck's psychological state after the war. Barker maintains an element of verisimilitude in the way Rivers is somewhat skeptical of the apparition and also in the way Wansbeck does not indicate that it is an anomaly and continues to speak casually. These two elements combine to illustrate how soldiers can cope with the horrors and brutality they experience through the mechanisms created by their own minds. A believable story is usually not controlled by figurative language, but rather by a collection of detailed and specific images. In addition to the brutal images mentioned above, common depictions of daily life in the hospital or on the battlefield help create and maintain a realistic setting. One Sunday morning, the soldiers have some free time and Barker describes the scene with "the smell of bacon frying, the sound of pots and pans banging...a ray of sunlight on the ground and the straw seems like gold” and later describes him as “[t]he ghost of Sunday morning at home” (Barker 177). Contrasting with the scenes of blood and gore, this scene emulates typical decivil experiences. This juxtaposition expresses that war is often deceptive and that war is presented as a lie to the public, one of Barker's anti-war positions. He exposes the guilt the soldiers feel, then uses contrast to show the sacrifices the soldiers are ill-equipped for. However, Barker does not completely return them to the comfort of home as she connects this scene to the "ghost" of Sunday morning at home. This presents the idea that only the raw remnants of what soldiers once possessed are safe on the battlefield. The reverse connection occurs earlier in the novel in England, as "the rivers turned to watch the sun swell and redden as it sank, a brutal, bloody disk, marked by factory steeples and chimneys …” (Barker 116). This time, a peaceful setting is depicted with images that evoke grief and fear, maintaining a realistic scene while pathetically misrepresenting the war across the Channel. By connecting the two contexts, Barker describes an understanding between those at war and those at home. This depiction is crucial in evoking compassion for young men who give their lives for a futile cause that they never truly understand. By creating an illusion of reality, the use of a descriptive framework helps establish connections between the country's civilians and those fighting in the war. The narrative style becomes one of the main distinguishing features between the two novels. Barker incorporates an unconventional writing style in which the stories of two protagonists alternate between chapters. Prior's story is told partly in the first person as if he were writing a diary, as well as in the conventional third person omniscient point of view.Rivers tells two stories simultaneously, one about his current job at the hospital and the other about his past experience with headhunters, but both are told in the third person. Prior's first-hand account reads like a war diary and recounts the brutal events from the character's direct point of view. This is the most direct development of verisimilitude because it allows the reader to experience the trials and horror through the eyes of the soldier. The closer, more in-depth narrative style allows for greater relatability with the fictional character and ultimately produces verisimilitude. Findley uses a postmodern writing style in which readers interpret the story as they wish. A typical element of postmodernism is self-reflexivity in which the reader can connect various perspectives into a single story that is reflected in the different witnesses the journalist interviews about Robert Ross. In addition to narrative style, the two authors also employ different techniques to depict verisimilitude. In The Wars, significant animal and natural imagery contributes to the verisimilitude displayed while The Ghost Road remains primarily focused on the human aspect of war. Of course, The Wars frequently expands on aspects of human emotion and psychology; however, it also includes vivid animal imagery that sets it apart from The Ghost Road. Much of Findley's use of verisimilitude depends on an understanding of some of these animals and a basic knowledge of the geography and historical context of the First World War. This is seen for example with the names of the provinces, the climate, the reactions of animals, and the technology of the time. These universal connections with the reader evoke emotions and address psychological phenomena that occur among soldiers in groups. In contrast, Barker occasionally focuses on spirituality, a feature that is not included in The Wars. However, instead of undermining the novel's credibility, Barker's inclusion of supernatural elements connects the reader on levels beyond the emotional and physical. In The Ghost Road, a significant portion of the novel is devoted to developing the characters of the Headhunters' Island from Rivers' point of view and creating a sympathetic connection with them. Coupled with the fact that the narrator tells the story with an emphasis on Rivers being a doctor and using scientific terms, the connection allows spiritual encounters to be approached with less judgment and disbelief. When preparing for the funeral of a respected tribesman, Ngea, the islanders place "a diadem of shells around [his] skull and other shells in the sockets of [his] eyes" and begin to pray for that Ngea is conducive to war. and beyond (Barker 206). This scene alludes to the war that the islanders believe men are waging in the afterlife. Wishing Ngea propitiousness illustrates war as an event in which individuals must survive on their own, allowing connections to be made to Prior's fight in Europe. These connections contribute to the idea that war has universal themes of futility which Barker actively critiques by maintaining verisimilitude even through the supernatural sequences. Since both authors were born after World War I, they required extensive research and understanding of the elements that connect war stories. , like futility, brutality and chaos, as well as real history. They each had the task of maintaining historical and scientific accuracy in order to produce credible war stories. Notably, in The Ghost Road, when Prior is asked if.