Both the poem, ÃÂThe Man with the Broken FingersÃÂ and the novel All Quiet on the Western Front have unique similarities and differences. They both deal with war. ÃÂThe Man with the Broken FingerÃÂ is a poem by Carl Sandburg and was written about World War II. All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel written by Erich Remarque and it deals with World War I. Erich Remarque was born in Germany and his novel All Quiet on the Western Front its characters are members of the German military. Carl Sandburg is from Illinois and his poem deals with an American war hero. These two literary works both have their similarities and differences, especially in the areas of point of view and theme.
ÃÂThe Man with the Broken FingersÃÂ is written third person. Carl Sandburg uses the third point of view for many reasons. First, Sandburg uses the third person point of view to keep the character in the poem nameless.
Remarque, Erich Maria: Im Westen nichts Neues. Rom...
Paul Stang
Carl Sanburg's house where he lived while he wrote...He simply refers to him as the ÃÂMan with the Broken Fingers.ÃÂ (ll. 1) He also keeps the nameless to keep him applicable to the reader. When the character in a novel or poem is nameless our mind automatically fills in a spot and replaces this nameless character with a person that we know in our lives that shares common characteristics. This is a simple trick used in some writing to establish temporary report with the reader. Sandburg also uses the third person point of view because it is difficult to place the reader on a battlefield. It is much easier to tell a story of the war. After the poetic shift, the third person point of view becomes a crucial part of the poem. It is hear where Sandburg begins to sever and dehumanize the nameless...