Wounded Souls (1920)

This is a work of nonfiction that almost reads as a novel. Being a war correspondent/journalist/author Philip Gibbs was extremely engaged with the human psyche and passionate about the inherent good of people at heart. Not idealistic; horrible things happened and he portrayed these with honesty. But being in the thick of it himself he believed that people on all sides did the things they did because they were misguided by the powers above them.

Many, it seemed, either couldn't live with themselves after the fact or "did penance" so to speak. For example one British sniper ends up marrying a German girl and can't understand why his family back home could never accept it. Interestingly, the soldiers themselves were far more forgiving toward the other side than were those safely at home.

In the words of one British soldier, "I see now that it is no use fighting against the injustice and brutality of life. I can't remake the world, or change the things that are written in history, or alter in any big way the destiny of peoples. Stupidity, ignorance, barbarity will continue among the multitude. All that any of us can do is tackle some good job that lies at hand and keep his own soul bright and fearless, if there is any chance, and use his little intellect in his little circle for kindness instead of cruelty."