Books like Three soldiers by John Dos Passos
John Dos Passos returns from architectural studies in Spain just as the United States enters World War I. Driven by youthful idealism, he enlists as an ambulance driver in the U.S. Army. The novel chronicles his rapid disillusionment and offers a sharp critique of military life and its social consequences. It centers on three soldiers: Andrews, a composer who resists the regimented conformity of war; Chrisfield, an Indiana farm boy who repeats the slogan “make the world safe for democracy” to cope with battle’s horrors; and Fuselli, a clerk dreaming of becoming a corporal amid mockery. Each character is forced to abandon individuality and submit to unquestioning obedience, leaving lasting scars from the dehumanizing realities of war.
First publish date: 1921
Genre: War & Military Fiction/World War I Fiction
Authors: John Dos Passos
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