The Thin Red Line is author James Jones'

James Jones (author)

James Jones was an American author known for his explorations of World War II and its aftermath.-Life and work:...

s fictional account of the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 Galloping Horse portion of the Battle of Mount Austen

Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse

The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, part of which is sometimes called the Battle of the Gifu, took place from 15 December 1942 to 23 January 1943 and was primarily an engagement between United States and Imperial Japanese forces in the hills near the Matanikau River...

, specifically Hill 53, during the Guadalcanal campaign

Guadalcanal campaign

The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...

, which he experienced firsthand in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

's 25th Infantry Division. The novel has been adapted for motion pictures twice, first in 1964

The Thin Red Line (1964 film)

The Thin Red Line is a 1964 Cinemascope film based on James Jones's novel of the same name. The film follows the life of a number of American soldiers during the battle of Guadalcanal.The black-and-white film was filmed in Spain...

 and then in Terrence Malick

Terrence Malick

Terrence Frederick Malick is a U.S. film director, screenwriter, and producer. In a career spanning almost four decades, Malick has directed five feature films....

's 1998 adaptation

The Thin Red Line (1998 film)

The Thin Red Line is a 1998 American war film which tells a fictional story of United States forces during the Battle of Mount Austen in World War II. It portrays men in: C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division; in particular those soldiers played by Sean Penn, Jim...

.

Like Jones's two other World War II novels, the story focuses on a number of characters and their differing reactions to combat; the central characters are actually the same in all three books but their names have necessarily been changed, particularly because of various deaths in From Here to Eternity

From Here to Eternity (novel)

From Here to Eternity is the debut novel by James Jones, winner of the National Book Award for fiction in 1952. It was ranked 62 on Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Novels. It is loosely based on Jones' experiences in the pre-World War II Hawaiian Division's 27th Infantry and the unit in which...

. While none of the characters are particularly attractive or warm, Jones effectively conveys the alienation and horror that characterized the Pacific theatre of war for the American Army rifleman.

Instead of a conventional military adventure story, the author presents a more realistic depiction of battle where ordinary people experience a mix of murder, fear, homosexuality, dread, helplessness, frustration, meanness, terror, and emptiness. The novel depicts (but is careful not to judge) acts most readers would consider repellent, such as disinterring a Japanese corpse for fun, summarily executing

Summary execution

A summary execution is a variety of execution in which a person is killed on the spot without trial or after a show trial. Summary executions have been practiced by the police, military, and paramilitary organizations and are associated with guerrilla warfare, counter-insurgency, terrorism, and...

 Japanese prisoners or extracting gold teeth from corpses. These acts are shown as natural reactions to the soldiers' environment.

The novel explores the idea that, despite the mass use of humanity, modern war is a very personal and ultimately lonely experience in which each soldier suffers the emotional horrors of war by himself.

The title may come from Rudyard Kipling's

Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...

 poem "Tommy" from Barrack-Room Ballads

Barrack-Room Ballads

The Barrack-Room Ballads, and Other Verses are a set of martial songs and poems by Rudyard Kipling originally published in two parts: the first set in 1892, the second in 1896...

, in which he calls ordinary foot soldiers "the thin red line of 'eroes."

Themes

Major themes found in the novel are the man vs. himself theme, which explores that each person battles with themselves between the ego, superego, and the id.

Literary significance and criticism

The Thin Red Line was well received by literary critics, one of whom favorably compared it to Stephen Crane

Stephen Crane

Stephen Crane was an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism...

's The Red Badge of Courage

The Red Badge of Courage

The Red Badge of Courage is a war novel by American author Stephen Crane . Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Overcome with shame, he longs for a wound—a "red badge of courage"—to...

.

See also

• The Thin Red Line (1964 film)
  The Thin Red Line (1964 film)
  The Thin Red Line is a 1964 Cinemascope film based on James Jones's novel of the same name. The film follows the life of a number of American soldiers during the battle of Guadalcanal.The black-and-white film was filmed in Spain...
  
  
• The Thin Red Line (1998 film)
  The Thin Red Line (1998 film)
  The Thin Red Line is a 1998 American war film which tells a fictional story of United States forces during the Battle of Mount Austen in World War II. It portrays men in: C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division; in particular those soldiers played by Sean Penn, Jim...