Certainly West's theme of man returning from war has many antecedents. From Homer's The Iliad (1050-850 B.C.) and The Odyssey (1050-850 B.C.), to the Bible, to Shakespeare's history plays, this theme has been explored in depth. And this theme continues to fascinate writers, perhaps because of its application to Americans' recent experiences in the Vietnam War. But West's novel was one of the first to deal with the effects of the First World War. Published in 1918, the novel appeared just as the war was ending and was fresh in mind. Perhaps it is fair to say that West's novel set precedent; for many novels, such as John Dos Passos's Three.....
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