All for Nothing
More often than not, we are usually in search of a hero to get us out of a horrid situation physically, emotionally, or spiritually. It is human nature to seek comfort or an escape to a place of peace. However, life has a different view on how things run. Reality is sometimes harsh and unbearable for a majority. This fact explains why people constantly fall into a depression to the extent of having suicidal tendencies, it explains why people give up hope. Despite the constant challenges to which we are exposed, there is literature. This is a category in art that has opened people more to the nature of the world. It is a space through which people relate more to their situations and find a way to handle their issues once they are in a fix. The most respectable element of literature is its capacity to communicate issues that affect the community even when the content is pure non-fiction. The book “All for Nothing” by Walter Kempowski is one of the most popular pieces of literature. The heroism and the triumph of good over evil is an element that should prevent the book from being censored.
Firstly, the book communicates effectively on ethos, pathos and logos to the extent that censoring could alter one of these elements and the book would lose its authenticity. Literature is all about how the message gets communicated to the audience. Does it change the listeners? Would they desire to hear it several times? Do they identify with the characters? Literature is surrounded by such questions. The reputation of the book depicts that it can move masses in multiple ways. The logos of the book lie in the concept of the reality of evil and good in the world and the struggles of those that want to survive the consequences of the conflict that exists between the two forces. The entire book is based on the challenges that people in the second world war experiences before they finally settle down and denounce Hitler his following. For instance, Von Globigs loses some of his friends, he encounters betrayal, and along the way, he learns. Such is the nature of the world.
In the plight for people to succeed or be at peace with themselves, they need to lose friends and make new ones. They get betrayed by people they trust and even by themselves, and they learn through the experiences of the world. The ethos bit is communicated through the use of a language that only existed in Germany in the time. During the second world war, there were elements such as the Nazi movement that was unique to Germany. The camps where Jews were placed also were also unique to the book. This fact shows the authenticity of the book to its setting. The pathos bit is very strong. It is what drives people deeper into relating to the book. There is constant fear and darkness that awaits destruction. The audience can feel a chill throughout the book, but they are hopeful for a good ending. The audience can relate to the love, the selflessness, the bond of family, the tears of emotional and physical pain, and the joy that comes with victory over evil. It is these emotions that give flesh to the book. The author has a strong ethos basis since local languages are used and the way of life of the Germans is depicted in a way that is more soothing than harsh.
The type of montage used in this case is the overtone montage. It can blend components of metric, rhythmic, and tonal montages to the extent that the book moves from pleasant situations to those that make the audience skip in anticipation of what is about to happen. The book also cuts across emotions. At the point of Von Globigs’ unconsciousness and oblivion, the aura communicates sadness, defeat, surrender, and at the same time, a heroic moment for the Nazis. Such suddenly changes once the community jumps up and challenges the Nazis. Shortly after, the audience is exposed to an environment of violence. At that point, all there is an anticipation of what side will win. The most respectable element of literature is its capacity to communicate issues that affect the community even when the content is pure fiction. The over-tonal montage makes it possible for different emotions and time frames to existing within the same space. The product of this complexity is a perfect blend of this montage and the mise-en-scene-montage used in the book.