Common Senselessness about the War: On Shaw's Media Delirium

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article analyzes how biases in Shaw's media environment are reflected in his experiences and representations of the First World War. After turning to contemporary media theory to assess the ways in which war mediates the legibility of one's surroundings, this article discusses Shaw's critique of war delirium in “Common Sense about the War.” After examining excerpts from “Joy Riding at the Front” and the preface of Heartbreak House—which diverge in interesting ways from “Common Sense”—this article concludes by offering some speculative insights into what Shaw's war ambivalence contributes to new media theory.