| This dissertation examines the representation of American infantrymen in selected dramatic literature published between 1924 and 1985. The study is limited to American soldiers or marines dealing with ground combat in the past, present, or future.; The theme is explored through five questions. (1) How have the psychological changes wrought by combat been presented? (2) What factors motivate men to enter and remain in combat? (3) Has representation of the home front been accurate? (4) Have dramatists shaped or followed public opinion? (5) How does the life of the soldier in drama compare to the reality of life in or after the infantry? The focus is on the infantry because ground combat is the most intense form of combat and therefore the most potentially psychologically devastating form of warfare and therefore holds the most dramatic potential.; The study is divided into six chapters; an introduction and discussion of methodology, a brief history of American military drama, an exploration of psychological changes wrought by combat, an investigation of the emotional bonds developed between combat infantrymen, an examination of the soldiers return and readjustment to civilian life. Questions concerning the factors that draw men to combat and whether dramatists have led or followed public opinion are considered throughout the text.; The answers to the five key questions vary from era to era and play to play. Until Vietnam, dramatists usually followed public opinion, but were leaders in questioning the necessity of war following hostilities. More often than not soldiers have been portrayed accurately on the realistic stage and, if not accurately, then truthfully in non-realistic works. Positive changes in the soldier's psychology have usually been generalized, while the negative changes have been treated in specific detail. The soldier's readjustment to civilian life has changed over the years as following each war, the returning veteran found himself at a greater and greater emotional distance from civilian society. |
