“WAR, SOCIETY AND HUMAN VALUES IN EVELYN WAUGH’ S MAJOR NOVELS”

Abstract

Evelyn Waugh's main novels construct a critical portrait of a contemporised society wracked by war, social upheaval, moral 'flux' and the loss of traditional culture and mores. In this paper, the author will specifically explore the effect war has on the individual, social interactions, class relations and human behavior within Waugh's fiction. Decline and Fall, Vile Bodies, A Handful of Dust, Brideshead Revisited and Sword of Honour have all brought to light the difference between social status and individual tragedy. Waugh is ironic, satirical and tragic in investigating the values of an evolving society. In his works of fiction, he reveals that war is more political and military than a transformative power of personal relationships, and social identity and moral decisions. The author maintains that Waugh's novels continue to be important for the appreciation of the interplay between war, society and values in human life.