The Human Boy and the War

"The Human Boy and the War" by Eden Phillpotts is a book that shows how young boys deal with the idea of war during World War I. The main character, Travers Major, and his friends talk about what causes wars and even act out battles in their games. At first, Travers thinks about the big ideas behind war with another student, Fortescue, and they see that some people like the plan of war while others are interested in the fighting. They then make a plan to have a fake battle in the snow, but problems come up between different groups at their school. This leads to funny but meaningful fights that are like the real war going on in the world. The beginning part of the story shows how young people understand and react to big events they can't control, mixing the innocence of being a child with the serious truth of war.