“War” is a short story written by Luigi Pirandello. It is set during World War I and explores the impact of war on ordinary people’s lives. The story follows a group of passengers on a train who are all trying to get home to their families as the war rages on.

After being wounded in battle, the main character, a young soldier named Silvestro, is returning home to his wife and new baby. As he imagines reuniting with his family, he is overcome with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. He encounters other travellers along the way who share their personal accounts of how the war has affected them.

The futility of war and the senselessness of the violence and destruction it causes enter Silvestro’s thoughts as the train ride goes on. He considers the absurdity of dying and being killed for things that seem far-off and amorphous. Each passenger expresses their unique viewpoints and experiences as they converse about the war.

The story captures the disillusionment and despair that war brings, as well as the way it disrupts and uproots ordinary lives. It also highlights the shared humanity and connections that people can find even in the midst of conflict.

In the end, the train reaches its destination, and Silvestro is reunited with his family. The story concludes with a sense of bittersweetness, as Silvestro and the other passengers try to make sense of the devastation caused by war and find moments of solace and connection amidst the chaos.

“War” by Luigi Pirandello is a poignant exploration of the emotional and psychological toll of war on individuals and society, depicting the profound impact it has on people’s lives and the complex web of human experiences that it weaves.