However, when all dignity and values seem lost, signs of their former selves can, and do return. During the war, the men are forced to face many dehumanising situations, and this challenges their dignity and morals. The soldiers were expected to live in the most degrading of conditions in their muddy, lice
Paul Baumer, the main character and narrator in All Quiet on the Western Front has been enlisted with his classmates in the German army of World War I. Throughout this novel, the author, Erich Maria Remarque expresses the horrors of war and how Paul’s friends and his life was impacted negatively because of such a bloody, terrifying war experience. Before the war, Paul was a compassionate and sensitive young man who loved his friends and family very much. The war had done horrible things to him and destroyed him both mentally and physically. Paul and his friends experienced death scenes from the ones that stood by them since they stepped foot on the battle field to the ones on the other side.
Some of these include death of others around them Vietnamese men, women, and children. Also they saw many of the people in their platoon get killed or die. Men tried to close themselves off from what was going on “they carried shameful memories” (482). “Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, not dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor.
Remarque’s novel is a insightful statement against war, which focuses primarily on the devastating affect both psychologically and the humanity of soldiers. Paul’s narrative reflects persistently on the romantic ideals of warfare. Paul and his fellow soldiers are tempered with the reality that their bonds come at the high price of relentless suffering and terror. Most of the prominence events that refer to character altering situations occur in the final chapters of the book. Paul’s analogy between minting coins and the effect of the war on veteran soldiers is a significant event.
Many Marines have given up their lives in order to protect one another and defeat the enemy. This story teaches today’s Marines how to fight like Marines as well as why this service holds so many honors. The never say die attitude of every man on that hill is proof why the Marines are America’s elite, because they can take every hardship that God and the world can throw at them and still never give up. The Marines in this book are the kind of fighters we should all try to be. Courage is one of the main traits than shows the most throughout this story.
Young men who had never fought in a war possessed idealism full of illusions by following John F. Kennedy’s statement, “Ask what you can do for your country, not what your country can do for you.” The proud young military men believed that the Viet Cong could be swiftly conquered only to come to awareness these guerrillas were a deadly, persistent enemy who were willing to sustain continual casualties, while the U.S. government became just as responsible for inflicting tremendous casualties physically and morally during the war. Young American men went to Vietnam
While “honor” and “self-realization” may be ideological terms often associated with a war cause, “brutality” and “self-scarification” are perhaps more realistic descriptors. The brutal and ferocious atmosphere of war often forces its young soldier constituencies to sacrifice any childish views of life, and mature. Walter Dean Myer’s novel, Fallen Angels, details the tragic loss of innocence of group of young soldiers who, surrounded by the unspeakable horrors of the Vietnam War, are forced to prematurely journey into manhood. Though initially and wholly innocent, the tense atmosphere of war forces Richie Perry and his fellow soldiers to leave behind former romantic views of war and realize its moral ambiguity. A truly unfortunate byproduct
Gordon and Shughart were courageous in showing their bravery because they went beyond the call of duty, volunteering themselves to be inserted to protect four other soldiers in a crash site with a growing number of enemies closing in on them with only being equipped with their sniper rifles and side arms. (2011) Shughart showed their loyalty to the U.S. Army and fellow soldiers that day because of their personal devotion to take control of the crash site by themselves showing they have faith to their country by standing up to fight off the enemies that were after the U.S Army. (2003) MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randy Shughart showed honor by asking the operation
Disease, biting insects, infection, and the desire to kill plagued the men on both sides of the war. Caputo and his men stumbled across a base camp of the Viet Cong. Inside they found letters and photographs of their loved ones and families. This was the first time any of them felt guilt and regret for the lives they had taken. It made many of them realize that the enemies were just like themselves.
Jewel’s Love Throughout all of As I Lay Dying, we see Jewel as the Bundren with apparently the most violent nature. He was constantly arguing and disagreeing with the other members of the family as they made the journey to Jefferson to bury his mother Addie. It wasn’t until the end of the trip that you really take a look in-depth at what kind of impact Jewel had on his family. We really start to notice through his random acts of courage and kindness that he is a valued member of the Bundren family. It proves that Jewel had only the best intentions and did everything in the best interest for the family.