3. How does the presence of family impact people during war (such Abel’s godmother and the Whiteheads)?

The Great War was a very dehumanizing event in the soldier’s life. People unaccustomed to war were suddenly thrust into a position where they had to endure trench warfare and constant shelling leading to a very bleak existence where the creature comforts of their lives were gone. On the other end of the spectrum were the wives and mothers the soldiers left behind. Even though they did not actively fight in the war they were just as equally impacted by it. They cared deeply for the health and well being of the soldiers and were at times helpless to do anything. In Stein’s piece the Whiteheads are a prime example of the helplessness that war creates in those back home. Mrs. Whitehead intercepted her son before he enlisted and wanted him to learn how to drive in the 3 days before he enlisted. It was a rather naive way for the mother to give to her child some life experiences before he was put in danger as if she realized how little time she might have with her son. She successfully delivered a coat to keep him warm, but she herself was weak and sick as though the fact her son was in danger directly impacted her health. The military God-son/mother relationship played a key role in giving the soldiers some of their humanity back. Abel, the sweet boy that Alice and Gretrude both loved, was their favorite military God-son. Even though Stein wrote to many soldiers, they each replied back very quickly as if to them the letters were a glimpse into the humanity and home they left behind, as if to remind them towards what they were fighting for.