The War in Retrospect

Abstract

This chapter analyses MacGill's position after the war and in particular his two post-war accounts of war: Fear! and Suspense. Neither novel nor play was a success but both throw light on MacGill's on-going engagement with his experience of war. In both there is a considerable degree of anger (particularly at those who encouraged men to go to war) and of guilt (about killing and its wider consequences). Although there is much in the subject matter that is similar to his earliest war writings his conclusions are markedly different and reflect the problems that he faced in the 1920s. Issues that had been marginalised or suppressed – notable fear and killing—are brought to the forefront in what are effectively ‘conversion narratives’ in which MacGill is able to manage his shame and guilt while seeking redemption through a plea to end all wars.