Jacob Nolin, Conflict After Combat

Jacob Nolin

Conflict After Combat

On page 45 of Richard Baush's Peace, Marson reflects on his thoughts of home, that he will never see it again, and rumors that there may soon be an armistice. "The idea of never seeing home again burned deep, and he would lie on his side with his knees up and try to pray. Rumors went through the ranks like infection-talk that the Italians would seek an armistice, and this might truly mean the end of the war." 

This passage theorizes storytelling in terms of violence by showing the effects it has on Marson even when he is not on a mission. Baush shows Marson's thoughts teeter between being trapped in a chaotic setting even while off duty, (such as the mountain later in the novel, or the incident with the German woman at the start of the story), and coming home to his often thought about family. This cycle between a never ending war and the ideal end for Marson, returning home, depicts violence without having to show it. The talk of the men tells the reader that they want the war (and violence within it) to be over and Marson's own thoughts reveal that he cannot believe the rumors. His attempts to pray are faulty and in vain. The idea "burned deep", as if Marson is being hurt by his own psyche even when he is away from the battlefield. He is unable to relax "on his side with his knees up" and cannot even pray. This image is not one of a man at peace. Even when he should be resting, Marson is tormented by his anxiety about the war and his experiences as a soldier.