Consider Two Contrasting Characters In The Play Essay

Consider two different characters inside the play. How exactly does the playwright convey all their personalities and their attitudes to the situation through which they are? The playwright of ‘The Long, the Short as well as the Tall’ is definitely Willis Area and this individual wrote that in 1959. The play is defined in the Malaysian jungle in 1942 through the Second World War.

It truly is about a English scout patrol, which is trapped in the sudden Japanese enhance down the Malaysian peninsula. It deals with males from all over Britain, from different backgrounds and cultures, and their relationships with each other. The main issue though, is actually the men are able to kill another human being. It shows their very own reactions in tense and almost unreal conditions. World Warfare Two held up from 1939 to 1945.

It was battled in two places; in Europe against Germany and in the Pacific against Asia. Britain plus the USA began fighting against Japan mainly because Japan bombed Pearl Harbour in 12 , 1941, which will had docked a whole fleet of American battle ships. The British as well as the Americans didn’t expect the Japanese to assault, so they were not able to protect themselves. From here Japan continuing to grow into different countries.

They will quickly conquered South-East Asia. The next thing japan did was to invade Singapore in Malaysia. Again the British were completely unprepared for the attack. Every Singapore’s defences were facing into the ocean, never expecting or assuming that any person would reduced the peninsula, through the new world, but this is exactly what the Japanese do.

Because no person in Singapore believed that they would be bitten from the terrain side, all of the defences were on the ocean side, against a ocean attack. The Japanese were and so successful since they had ought to training in new world warfare. They will wore lumination clothing, had light ammunition and made utilization of bicycles to get transport. This meant that that they could travel great ranges in a relatively short time.

Generally there wasn’t very much hope for the British soldiers, who had little or no training in jungle warfare, that were there heavy apparel and ammunition and no ideal transport. Spirits in the Uk army was very low. The majority of the soldiers were conscripts who were very negative about the power of the generals of the military to direct the army in the right away and also as a result of lack of proper training and equipment.

This can be seen in the play in the way the personas talk of the radio not working. ‘Damn duff equipment’ is how Johnstone details the radio. Towards the British conscripts the Japanese army seemed invincible, with their amazingly patriotic military who were willing to die rather than surrender. The Japanese believed in the motto ‘Death before dishonour’. They seemed a completely reckless army because of this, which didn’t do the morale of the British soldiers very much good. Both contrasting character types I have decided to look at are Bamforth and Johnstone.

I use chosen Bamforth because his character adjustments a great deal throughout the play fantastic point of view ways to a different position and I possess chosen Johnstone because his character is among the few kinds, which doesn’t change very much throughout the enjoy. Private C. Bamforth can be described as conscript into the British armed service and has become posted over to the Far East to aid fight the Japanese. He is coming from London which is in the lowest possible rank inside the army.

His position is completely different from Johnstone’s. His full title is Corporal Electronic. Johnstone.

He’s two above Bamforth in ranks and it is part of the frequent army and it is not conscripted. This means that is definitely attitude to the army differs. His attitude is much significantly less cynical and he values authority more, in terms of Mitchem. He is negative in one part of the play in which he becomes exasperated when the car radio won’t work. ‘Damn duff equipment.

The complete damn issue’s duff. ‘ But general he is much less cynical of the British army’s capabilities. On the reverse side Bamforth is extremely cynical from the British military services in the way he speaks of computer. He obviously quotes one of the Generals, ‘Bammo, my outdated son, the British army’s in a desperate situation. The yellow peril’s about to come down on us’ Here he’s joking regarding the state of the British army, but he obviously is convinced it, normally he wouldn’t be saying it and it wouldn’t be funny. Also he makes crystal clear that this individual isn’t able to be a main character, ‘I wasn’t meant to be a hero’ he states that clearly and decisively, which in turn shows that this individual has no doubts about it.

Bamforth enjoys making fun of others especially individuals that can’t protect themselves well like Whitaker and people who happen to be of a certain place such as Wales or Scotland. He has a tendency to generalise regarding people of a specific area and give us a call at them derogatory names. ‘You Scotch gefullter schafsmagen! ‘, ‘you Cardiff creep’, You’re a great ignorant Welsh Taff! ‘ He is an incredibly unpleasant figure in the beginning and obviously resents authrority; ‘Nit’ is what he says beneath his breath of air at Johnstone.

Johnstone is also unpleasant in how he threatens Bamforth, but since the person seeing the enjoy, with no understanding of how Bamforth’s character will change, I found which i sympathised with Johnstone and felt delighted that he was giving Bamforth what this individual deserved. Their initial reaction was very similar, as it was Johnstone who have grabbed the prisoner and ordered another one of the men to kill him with their bayonet and Bamforth was the simply other soldier who felt able to eliminate him. This individual regarded japan soldier as only as critical as an animal. ‘It’s only the identical to carving up a pig’.

The captive was very low in his judgment Johnstone provides very little contact with the captive; he simply has direct contact with the prisoner if he has the discussion with Bamforth over if the prisoner needs to be allowed any kind of cigarettes. He obviously features strong viewpoints on what should happen to the prisoner; this individual thinks it is a bad decision of Mitchem’s to take the prisoner back again as it is as well risky. This individual tries to dispute with Mitchem that they ought to kill the prisoner correct then, just before it all got out of hand. ‘Get rid of him.

Right now’ Strangely enough, it is Bamforth who befriends the prisoner and foretells him and joke with him. This individual even starts to regard the prisoner because almost human. ‘He’s practically human that one is! ‘. His judgment of the hostage has increased from that of animal to almost human. This is because the prisoner confirmed him his photos of his relatives.

He shows that this individual also has a child, this is probably for what reason Bamforth starts to regard him with more value. Next Bamforth offers the prisoner a cigarette, but Johnstone knocks the prisoner’s by his mouth area. At once Bamforth demands an explanation from Johnstone. Here he can clearly protecting the prisoner’s rights, although also I do think that this individual argues with Johnstone because he did something that infringed his privileges. Later on when the argument regarding the prisoner’s cigarette case begins, the playwright cleverly makes Bamforth leave so the argument may progress without other people coming to the prisoner’s defence.

When Bamforth returns the argument actually reaches a climax; he right away comes to the prisoner’s defence. He guards him by speaking and helps the prisoner. This individual tells others that he gave the prisoner the cigarettes. This might not have recently been true and I don’t feel that Johnstone actually believed him.

He is the person who asks to think about the case ahead of it is returned to the hostage and this individual starts one more argument regarding the case. On this occasion Bamforth does not claim to have got given it to him, although turns the story back in Johnstone by causing Whitaker tell the others how he provides a locker filled with Japanese gifts. He guards the prisoner all the way.

This can be sign that he has become really placed on the captive. By the end when they have to make a decision whether to kill the prisoner or perhaps not, Bamforth has become incredibly attached to the prisoner. He physically stands in-between the prisoner and Johnstone, just like be seen from your stage guidelines. This is an obvious piece of resistant that he could be now prepared physically guard the captive not just dispute for him. ‘It’s him and me’.

This demonstrates that he is saying that if they wish to kill the prisoner, they may have to eliminate him also. Also this individual now expresses freely that he regard the prisoner highly. ‘He’s a man’, showing that the prisoner features earned a lot of Bamforth’s respect. Johnstone on the other hand is a one who is trying to eliminate the captive.

Johnstone nonetheless thinks they should kill the prisoner fantastic opinion of him has not risen either, ‘It’s a bloody nip’ From this you observe that this individual regards him as really low because he says it instead of he and uses the derogatory term of ‘bloody nip’. This individual orders Bamforth out of the way, nevertheless he will certainly not move and appeals to all the men consequently to help him. But every single one turns him down, he appeals to Macleish and finally, probably wishing that by least he was going to support him mainly because his buddy could be a POW too.

But even this individual does not support Bamforth. He can obviously eager because he transforms to absolute pettiness once each of the guys turn him down. ‘I hope they carve your brother up. Get that? I hope they carve the bloody buddy up! ‘ In the end the decision is made for them as Whitaker shoots the prisoner as he rises, during the fight among Bamforth and Johnstone. The play provides no apparent answers to who was proper or what they should have completed.

It was quite ironic just how it is Johnstone left alive at the end who also surrenders since it is was this individual who was willing to kill their POW, having said this he did not have much decision in the matter. Personally I truly don’t know very well what they should did because it was such a tough decision, but once I had to produce a decision I might probably possess tried to take those prisoner returning to camp rather than hanging around quarrelling about it. If they had done that they can might have had a chance of returning alive, but as it was that were there no wish.

With the benefit for hindsight, I am able to see that Johnstone was proper, when he declared they should get rid of the prisoner in the beginning, the moment non-e of which were mounted on the prisoner and generally there would have recently been no problem. Nevertheless I don’t think We would be able to eliminate someone for the reason that situation – even if I had been ordered to.