Very mixed feelings about this work. First, the thing rambles on for more than half without establishing any sort of plot line and seemingly just a written down version of basic training, complete with humiliation of the recruits and extreme misogyny. When the plot finally does establish, in Act II, it becomes much more of a play, but the problems still remain. It could be that this is simply a poor read, and it might do better staged, since the real impact of this play would appear to be in the action, not the words, but I just couldn't get past the rambling incoherence of so much of the work (acknowledging that rambling incoherence was actually a "style" at the time this was written, and plot was considered bourgeoisie). It does do a good job of capturing the total dehumanization of soldiers, and the fate that awaits them should they ever try to act as humans and peers to people only slightly higher on the hierarchy. I would also say that Rabe made a courageous move making his hero so extremely anti-heroic, and essentially a total jerk. ( )