It is widely recognized that the epistemologies of composers writing about World War I (WWI) had a significant impact on the stigmas and on the perception of that war. If literature is to play this crucial role in fueling society's understanding of the atrocities of war, it becomes imperative that epistemological representations are able to adequately convey those terrors, through textual or visual features, in order to ensure that the experiences of the First World War are accurately reflected for generations. come. A critical lens is needed to interrogate both various representations of physical combat in war. This will be explored, through the eyes of different authors and victims, in several texts: the 1930 novel Generals Die in Bed by Charles Yale Harrison, the poem "The Soldier" written by Rupert Brooke in 1914 and the novel All Quiet on the Front western by Erich Maria Remarque. All of this will be used to contribute to the idea that the horror of war should never completely leave our cultural psyche. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Harrison's Generals Die in Bed is a Canadian anti-war novel, based on his personal experiences facing combat during the First World War. It is a direct representation of the ruthless lifestyle inside the trenches. The bond between a patriotic soldier and his homeland is explored in the poem "The Soldier". It is a deeply patriotic and idealistic representation of this bond. All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel by German World War I veteran Erich Maria Remarque. The novel highlights the concepts of idiocy and irrationality surrounding the extreme physical and mental stress during the war and, upon returning to the home front, the severe detachment felt by the soldiers. Generals Die in Bed is an anti-war novel by Charles Yale Harrison. The novel, first published in 1930, recounts a first-hand combat experience through an unnamed eighteen-year-old Canadian soldier, based on the author's personal encounters. It provides an "authentic and evocative" portrait of life in the French trenches during the First World War, which is uninterruptedly horrific with disillusionment and cynicism present throughout the style of realism. This novel also presents itself as a confrontation with the cruel realities of war for its readers, in an immediate and experimental way. Shared experiences are communicated, in order to reveal the repressed truths of war, which belie patriotic proclamations of glory, honor and courage, further exploring the de-romanticisation of war. Generals Die in Bed is written in a journalistic manner, mostly free of ideological commentary. Authenticity is built within the text. While the novel is undoubtedly an anti-war text, it does not preach to its audience, instead challenging the idea that the war was heroic and noble by presenting the daily horrors and realities of military life and trench warfare: "We don't know what day it is. Whether it's Sunday or Monday it makes no difference. It's simply another day, a day in which one can die." portraying the atrocities of post-war trauma. Study of war literature cannot be limited to victims, veterans and experiences on the home front: we must also consider post-war traumas represented in literature.