Hibbert and Audience interest By Georgia, Ben and Kane

Hibbert

Description Hibbert is a ‘background character’ in ‘Journey’s end’ that isn’t introduced until half way through act 1. He is described as a slightly small built man in his early 20’s with a pallid face, which could show fear. Hibbert’s actions connote to him acting to help him to get him out of the war. When Hibbert is introduced, he is described of moving in a way that would indicate pain, for example, when he “rubs (his) forehead” He also refuses meals and complains of the pain from the ‘neuralgia’

Sympathy At the beginning of the play, the audience sees Hibbert as cowardly, through the opinions of the other characters By act 2, scene 2, the audience feels sympathy for Hibbert when they find out the truth about how he feels in consideration to the war. However, by act 3, scene 1, the audience feels antipathy towards Hibbert, when they find out how he talks about/treats women.

Comparisons The character of Raleigh juxtaposes the character of Hibbert since Raleigh is full of life and wants to fight in the frontline, whilst Hibbert is scared and wants to leave. Stanhope is similar to Hibbert as they both are afraid to fight in the war but don’t want to be seen as a coward The difference is that Stanhope uses alcohol as a coping method, whilst Hibbert doesn’t have one.

Coping methods He is shown to not have a way of coping with the trauma of war, through the way he is described in a way that presents him as slowly deteriorating from the inside out. His character represents the effect the war had on many and the deterioration of them if they didn’t have a coping method. He also tries to escape the war, using the excuse of a “neuralgia in the eye”, to get away from it but not seem cowardly.

Character’s opinions He is often discussed between characters when he isn’t in the scene. For example, Stanhope describes him as “another little worm” showing his disgust towards his cowardice. Osborne tries to see the good in Hibbert by choosing to see him as a person who is sick and deserves to leave.

Audience interest

Audience interest As the play was released in1928 (just 10 years after the war had finished) everyone who heard about the play and watched it would have knew someone who died in the war or was in it. This made the play very relatable to the people watching it. The play has a lot of dialogue with few characters. This means we get to know each character and there background. The audience then relates to the characters and therefore makes it more devastating for the audience when the character dies.

Character emotions Audience interest is held through the representation of emotions through the characters in the play, for example Hibbert represents fear and Raleigh represents optimism. This allows the audience to experience the various emotions felt by the soldiers during the war.

Opinions of characters Another way the audiences interest is generated is through the juxtaposing opinions of the characters For example, Stanhope's stoic attitude juxtaposes Hibbert's cowardly one.

Tension and suspense Tension and suspense is created throughout the play. For example when Osborne dies there is a lot of tension with in dug-out. The play often changes between tension and suspense and humour, creating an unknown outcome to a predictable ending For example, every time there is a tension filled scene, Mason usually enters the dug out and talks about food, distracting the audience from the depressing atmosphere.

Death of characters In the end, the play suggests that all of the characters die, however, we are never shown the bodies of the dead so it is only an assumption. In 1928, everyone would have known someone who had died in the war so R.C Sherriff may have done this so that everyone could relate to it. Therefore making the play far more emotional for the viewers.