The Changes In The Character Bamforth In the Malayan jungle in 1942 a british patrol is cut off from its base camp by the advancing Japanese. This play explores what happpens when ordinary men have to confront the reality of war: can they kill another human being? It offers no easy answers but reveals the reactions of a group of ordinary soldiers under pressure. The character of Bamforth in the play ‘The Long, The Short and The 1! tall, by Willis Hall is a complex one. It seems to undergo a series of changes as the story continues, especially when the patrol come across the Japanese prisoner.
At the start of the play, Bamforth obviously dislikes the Japanese. When the patrol first captures the Japanese prisoner, Bamforth is the only one (apart from Mitchem and Johnstone) who is willing to kill the prisoner. Bamforth says BAMFORTH: “It’s only the same as carving up a pig. ” He would be ready, standing up Bayonet in hand, feeling for the right spot to enter the bayonet into the prisoners body. This quote shows that when he first meets the Japanese soldier he thinks of him as an animal and nothing more.
During this time the audience thinks Bamforth is heartless and doesn’t like him. Then after awhile Bamfoth is set on duty to watch over the prisoner and during this time Bamforth is kept busy by ‘teaching’ the prisoner. BAMFORTH: Put your hands up on your head (THE PRISONER looks at BAMFORTH in belwilderment) I said, get your hands upon your head! Like this! See! Flingers on blonce! All light? (BAMFORTH demonstartes and THE PRISONER complies) This echoes that Bamforth has been kept busy by the prisoner, it also indicates a change between Bamforth and the prisoner.
The Essay on Bataan Death March Prisoners Japanese Day
I am not sure when this horrible ordeal all began. Was it just after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor or was it when World War II began Many of the survivors of the Bataan Death March believe it began in March of 1942. This was when General MacArthur received orders to leave his US Army forces and escape to Australia. The army forces were left under the command of Major General Edward king at the ...
First Bamforth was going to kill him no problem and now,he’s teaching th prisoner how to ‘talk’. From this point Bamforth starts to regain his lost respect from the readers. But Bamforth gains almost total respect towards the end of the play when he protects the Japanese soldier when he (the soldier) has a British cigarette case, and also not long after when he tries but fails to protecthim as Whitaker shoots the prisoner by accident. The point when he gains all this respect is when: MITCHEM: It’s a war.
It’s something in a uniform and it’s a different shade from mine. …. BAMFORTH: He’s a man! The above quote shows the point when bamforth gets respect from the readerss and also shows that Bamforth has quickly realised that the Japanese soldier is a man like himself not some animal like he first thought, the prisoner has grown on him. In conclusion I would say that at the beginning of th play Bamforth seems pretty shallow, arrogant, and full of it but you just can’t hate him. Then you dislike him when he compares the prisoner to a pig.
But at the very end you have mases of respect for Bamforth and you feel sorry for him because nobody will take his side and save the Japanese soldier. My final opinion of The Long and The Short and The Tallis not very good, if you like the play that is. I think that the way the platoon calls the Japanese Japs or Nips is racist and would be hurtful if you were Japanese. Also the play is said not to be anti war I think that it very much seems so and this is quite ’embrangling’ so to speak, Finally I definitely do not like The Long and The Short and The Tall by Willis Hall. Fin~
