After the Dancing Days | Themes

After the Dancing Days Themes

Heroism

In the time after the First World War, returning soldiers, and those who had died in battle, were considered heroes. The families of the soldiers needed to think that their sons were not wounded or killed in vain, and assigned their valiant efforts the role of heroism. In the novel, Annie learns the true meaning of heroism through her friendship with Andrew and her altered perception of her Uncle Paul's death. Annie's overwhelming love for her Uncle Paul positions him as heroic, even before Uncle Paul joins the army. Uncle Paul is genuinely interested in Annie. He interacts with her as if she were a young woman instead of a child, as the rest of her family does. Uncle Paul's wit and sophistication also add to his bigger-than-life aura, as far as Annie is concerned. When Annie learns that Uncle Paul has died in the war, Annie's devastation is tempered...
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