In the novel A Rose for the ANZAC Boys, Jackie French raises awareness of

the contributions women subsidize towards World War 1. The author tries to
show the similarities between the men and women, by stating how
enthusiastic and nave both genders are. the comparison between Midge and
the soldiers of how enthusiastic and eager they both are about joining the
army; all the occupations Midge and the women hold in the army and how the
jobs contribute to help the men fight with a steady hand; how much the men
are thankful for the efforts the women make towards helping them, not just
the women working in the army, also the women who send in and make
comfort for the soldiers and the contributions Midge self-sufficiently made
towards the war.
Many soldiers had the same opinion about war as Midge did, before many
joined they thought it was going to be a glorious adventure, they would have
the opportunity to honour their country in a heroic way. The name of the war
to end all wars was also very appealing because it meant that every name that
fought in this war would go down in history. Jackie French paints a vivid picture
in your head you of the opinions of war before midge starts her canteen and
then one after, when Midge actually gets there and finds the horrors of war.
You could understand the dismay the soldiers and Midge went through first
arriving at the war in France because of all the confronting experiences they
went through.
The occupations in the army for women were limited but everything they did
was a step closer to helping the men fight and later end the war. Throughout
the novel, the role women played in society was immense. The long and weary
the hours that the women worked for was astonishing There were no dreams.
Exhaustion didnt leave energy for dreams. Midge met many significant
women throughout her journey in the war; all had a passion for helping the
soldiers to get back on their feet. There was one that really stood out to Midge
and that was her Auntie Lallie, caring for the endless flow of wounded soldiers
returning from the front. Midge endures the experience of being able to be an
ambulance driver; the things she saw are horrific; she is thrust into carnage
and terror scenes. Jackie French expresses the amount of work every women
does by showing you how much the VADs, sisters, volunteers and more
endure.
The soldiers were only half of the army; the second army was the forgotten
one, the people who helped the wounded the ones who sent in all they had
just to feed them and give the soldiers something to fight for. All soldiers were
grateful for the women of the war Jackie French showed the consideration by
the quote reckon all the sisters should get medals, she made people realize
that only men acquired medals, and even with all their dedication to the war
women did not get recognized and get the apparition men did.
Midge made many sacrifices for her country and her family. She sacrificed her
life helping at the canteen her and her best friends ran, helping a friend that
led to a new career of driving an ambulance to help injured soldiers get to a
safer destination, she also helped her Aunt Lallie near the front, clean up
suffering soldiers. Midge became very involved in the war with various job
opportunities. You could see Midge was a strong character with a brave soul by
the quote Sometimes I think about what you have seen which is equal to
anything I have seen, and I think of what my mum has gone through too and I
think sometimes women are tougher then even us men.
All the small things that Jackie French has added into A Rose for the ANZAC
Boys has transformed it into a complex read. She goes into amazing depth of
how many contributions women made towards the war and how women
should get much more credit than they did.