NARRATIVES OF VIOLENCE AND HUMANITY: A RESEARCH STUDY ON THE ROLE OF ENGLISH WAR LITERATURE IN SHAPING CULTURAL MEMORY AND COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS

Abstract

This study examines the role of English war literature in negotiating the complex interplay between violence and humanity, with particular emphasis on how such narratives shape cultural memory and collective consciousness. Drawing on texts spanning World War I, World War II, and contemporary contexts, the analysis integrates perspectives from trauma studies, cultural memory theory, and theories of collective identity. The research employed a qualitative interpretive design, combining close reading, thematic coding, and comparative analysis to uncover how war literature functions as both testimony and cultural archive. The findings reveal four interrelated thematic clusters: the representation of violence as cultural trauma, the preservation of humanity amid conflict, the function of literature as a site of memory, and the contribution of narratives to collective consciousness and moral identity. Through these dimensions, war literature emerges as more than a reflection of historical events; it actively participates in cultural processes of remembrance, healing, and identity formation. By situating literary works within broader theoretical frameworks, this study underscores the enduring significance of English war literature as a medium that preserves the memory of conflict while shaping cultural understanding across generations.