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Long Answers from ‘The Hero’ by Siegfried Sassoon
Treasure Chest- The Hero by Siegfried Sassoon
1. How does Siegfried Sassoon use irony to convey the theme of The Hero?
Answer: Sassoon employs irony throughout The Hero to highlight the contrast between the glorified image of war and its brutal reality. The most striking irony lies in the mother’s belief that her son Jack died heroically. She says, “Jack fell as he’d have wished,” suggesting that he died a brave, noble death exactly as he would have wanted. However, the reader knows this is far from the truth. Jack panicked in the trenches trying to escape the war and his death was neither heroic nor dignified. The mother’s statement is tragically ironic because it reveals the comforting lie she’s been fed, one that conceals the horror of Jack’s real experience.
Further irony is found in society’s expectation that mothers should be “proud” of their dead sons, as the mother says, “We mothers are so proud of our dead soldiers.” This line is dripping with irony because, although the mother expresses pride, her sorrow is palpable and her voice “quavered to a choke.” Sassoon uses irony to critique the way war is glorified and to expose the emotional suffering of those left behind showing that the ideals of heroism and patriotism often obscure the grim truths of war.
