Sociological Approach to War Novel (An Image of Minority Discourse): Case Study of Four War Novels

The novel has been considered by various researchers as a social work (influenced by and affecting the community). Based on this preliminary assumption, this study engages in a case study of four war novels in order to show the difference between formal narrative of war in different media, including literature, and what is narrated in these works. The research method is based on a combination of theoretical foundations existing in sociology criticism, specifically the Lukach-Goldman model, Leventhal social criticism, and Pierre Bourdieu's viewpoint on institutions of power. The four selected novels include The Scorched Earth, Pilgrimage Customs, Winter 62, and Crystal Garden. These works were all written during the wartime period and are all considered outstanding and popular works. To achieve the research purpose, each novel was interpreted based on the sociological criticism model, and attempting to avoid any bias. The characteristics of each of the four novels were then highlighted in contrast to the formal war narrative, and how features such as personality, narrative style, tone, point of view, and even the content of the work served to reflect the minority discourse. Minority discourse is a multiplied voice that is completely distinct from the formal war narrative, and its manifestation is evident in the war novel as opposed to poetry and other literary forms related to war literature (such as memoir writing and oral narratives).