Trench Monologue

Hey everyone. Today we learned about the horrors of WWI by learning about trench warfare and how new technology changed the way wars were fought. For homework, you are to write a 2-minute monologue of a soldier during WWI. This monologue can take place within the trenches or after he arrives back home. He can be talking to someone else or talking to himself. The monologue should somehow include the conditions that he encountered in the trench and the horrors of warfare during WWI. This is going to be worth 10 points and will be graded on creativity and usage of the information that we learned about in class. You should include at least three weapons that we learned in class.

Lastly, DO NOT just spit back the information in monologue form. For example, do not say "we at first used pistols to shoot at other planes. This changed when we started using machine guns. We did not have ejection seats at first. We were supposed to be used for reconnaissance" if you are talking about aces. This is just spitting back information that I told you. I want you to use EMOTION and CHARACTERIZATION! Some questions to consider: who are you talking to? Why are you delivering this monologue? How does your character feel about what he is describing?

A good example would be "I was a fighter pilot in the so called Great War. I went up into the skies not even knowing whether I was going to come down alive. We used to take bricks up with us and use them in games where we would try to drop them on the enemy positions. Eventually the enemies would get a hold of our positions and we would brace for a circus show of high flying trapeze acts, trying to shoot the enemy plane out of the sky. I can still feel the wind blowing against me and the dread and fear that I may be next to join in a long list of victims of the Red Baron, the most hated German ace that ever lived."

Good luck!

~Mr. Mazur