Testament of Youth

From the start of Testament of Youth to the finish, Brittain discusses her feminist philosophy in deeply personal terms, and these discussions become more meaningful after the end of World War I when the feminist movement gathered political momentum in England. At first, Brittain’s feminist leanings manifest in intellectual ways; she seeks and must insist, for example, on the pursuit of a higher education that is automatically granted to her brother Edward by the sake of his gender alone. As Brittain starts her career as a professional writer while studying history at Oxford, she focuses her writing on the experience of women in various contexts, and eventually, she becomes part of the feminist movement in an even more active capacity when she becomes a part of Lady Rhondda’s Six Point Group. At this time, Brittain is an avid participant in the pursuit for more rights for women; women were granted the right to vote in 1918 after four years of contributing to the war effort in many different ways, but social and legal limitations were still in place. After deciding to marry George Catlin, Brittain links the political to the personal by making the controversial decision to keep her own last name, and the struggle she has while trying to obtain a passport reflecting her married status while still Vera Brittain is a symbol of the wider struggle women in England face at this time.

Every chapter in Testament of Youth begins with a poem, written either by Brittain herself or by Roland Leighton, emphasizing the creative expression that best suited both young people during a time fraught with high emotion. Both Brittain and Roland find solace in writing, as their many letters and poems attest; when Roland’s garments are delivered to his family after his death, his notebook containing his poetry appears, and from this small volume, Brittain learns more about the man and the relationship they shared as well as the challenges he faced while at war.  

Brittain’s own prolific and regular writing in her diary also reflects the importance of the creative act of writing. At times throughout the autobiography, Brittain states directly that during particularly stressful times during the war, writing letters to Roland is the only activity that provides her with relief. Her early decision to write about the impact of the war on herself and the four men she loves is also indicative of her awareness that writing can heal. Brittain’s extensive writing career resulted in 29 books, in the forms of novels, volumes of poetry, biographies, and autobiographies, all of which link her personal interest with her political interests.