Communities have greeted the outbreak of war with festive, childlike curiosity rather than dread
Evidence
Grange remembered how on August 2, 1914, his whole town had gathered on the quay with their dinners on their laps, for a gigantic picnic. Everyone brought chairs outdoors—to be within reach of signs. Some one saw a flag in the moon, someone else mentioned a tidal wave that was moving up the river: it was some experiment with a mysterious explosive: Turpin powder. The memory was one of the delights of his childhood. They had forgotten to send him to bed that night; the world was in its second childhood. — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 377
Categorization
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 377
- XREF: connects to: The onset of war is marked by mundane sensory details rather than dramatic signs — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 351; People can witness visible war signs without emotionally registering danger — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 387; A militarized frontier can feel enchanted and alive rather than threatening — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 195 (+4 more)
Library Connections
- The Phoney War felt eerily livable and distant rather than urgent
#corroborates(0.85) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 189 - A militarized frontier can feel enchanted and alive rather than threatening
#expands(0.80) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 195
Broader Connections
- People can witness visible war signs without emotionally registering danger
#qualifies(0.75) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 387 - Soldiers can experience wartime as sheltered idyll rather than danger
#exemplifies(0.70) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 47