The devastation that occurs in PHPR I think directly connects all of the themes that are presented within the story. I think without one specific theme we would not grasp that amount of devastation that is occurring and how Porter feels about it.
The autobiography point of the story I think actually has some real weight in this story even if we do not parallel the characters of Miranda with Porter, it is obvious that Porter conveys her feelings about the war and the forced patriotism, and also the way Miranda lives her daily life of being alone and working. It just so happens that Miranda is the character which has the most in common with Porter herself. Also I think it is important to acknowledge the fact that Porter as well as Miranda both lived through the flu epidemic after becoming very ill. I think this not only a huge part of the story but also a huge influence in how she viewed the war during this tragedy as not only were they fighting across seas but fighting for their lives at home and even more the evil within. I even think that maybe Porter thought that the war was not where the people should have been contributing their time worrying about being patriotic and what not. But rather people should have been more concerned with the epidemic. I just feel like that could be due to Miranda's unpatriotic tone and also that Adam does not die in the war but by the epidemic.
I also think that the romance aspect of the story greatly develops the idea of the devastation of the war and epidemic. I think the relationship puts a realistic time period on the tragedies that are occurring around them because the forbidden love/romance idea is placed upon us all the time in other piece of literature and movies, so we can relate to a romance that occurs within days. Also it stresses the importance that one must find some sort of joy no matter what devastation is upon you.
The gender differences within the time period are also really stressed and even the boundaries are crossed at so points during the story. The gender distinction of the female are set within the aspect of the war and how women are not allowed to participate in the warfare. This shows that the men still perceive women during this time period as fragile things that they must take care of. The gender lines are crossed with Miranda and her job as a journalist and how she operates her job by putting it first and foremost before Adam or any real life of her own. The gender lines are also crossed when Miranda becomes ill and Adam begins to care for her. He essentially becomes her nurse helping her become well which is inevitably the downfall of Adam.
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I like how you tie all the themes together with devastation. I felt that Porter does not really show the devastation in Pale Horse Pale Rider as bluntly as she could have, and I am glad. We get a sense of how bad things must have been, but we are not told straight out how many people have died or how many people Miranda has known have died. Instead, the devastation is presented in a way that is distanced at first, with caskets going by, but then the devastation becomes much more close when Adam dies and Miranda becomes sick. I think this is a better technique to use, instead of telling how much devastation there was, to just show us how it touched people's lives.
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