Key Quotations (AQA A-Level English Literature A): Flashcards

To avoid 'going mad with fright' - survival mechanism not choice

'I can't bear it any longer' - reached breaking point

He's terrified too - 'not the only soul that cares'

'Think of it as romantic. It helps' - coping mechanism

'Nerves battered to bits' - consequence of service not weakness

'Is it all worthwhile?' - philosophical absurdity of conflict

'Frightfully annoyed' about death - dark humour coping mechanism

'Topping'... then 'blew trenches to blazes' - humanity then killing

Characters' emotional states and difficulty articulating trauma

Conveys trauma authentically; avoids melodrama; more disturbing