O’Flaherty best illustrates the pandemonium of a war through the climatic ending of the story. When the sniper discovers he has killed his brother. The objectification of combatants and civilians is clearly showed in O’Flaherty’s story about
The disgust the sniper first feels is expressed when he “revolt[s] from the sight of the shattered mass of his dead enemy.” (2) The tone of the sentence depicts the hatred the sniper first feels against the acts of war. O’Flaherty creates a dark, gory atmosphere with the description of the fallen enemy sniper to parallel the dark emotions the sniper feels himself. The author continues with dark tone to describe the inner thoughts of the sniper “cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody.” (2) This pessimistic tone choice is used to have the reader understand the self-hatred the sniper feels for his sinful acts. The sniper comes to the realization of his morals, looking “at the smoking revolver in his hand and with an oath he hurl[s] it to the roof.” (2) The author’s serious tone emphasizes the serious commitment the sniper has to make a change in his life. Over the course of a simple passage, the sniper through O’Flaherty’s tone is able to have his thoughts about war
Our officers oughta be shot for that. She was carryin’ supplies and war material.” A few paragraphs later the book ends, the protagonist knowing that his own “heroism” in battle, the blood-lust that fuelled the victory, was manipulated, based on a lie. It’s a final moment of
As the men stood together, face to face, their guns pointed at each other. The only exploit to do was, kill or be killed himself. Hardy, the writer uses repetition as a sign of hesitation, in the third stanza, as he pauses and repeats the word: ‘because - Because…’ It shows his reflection of guilt and inner conflict for killing someone. The third line of this stanza introduces more repetition, this time of the word 'foe' (enemy); the use of phrases such as 'Just so' and 'of
Battling the war of love in his head, asnd battling the Vietnam War as well, is a great means of PTSD in the making. “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, is a short story about a group of men serving in the Vietnam War. These men are all carrying different items aside from the usual necessities needed while in combat. The items they are carrying are personal effects, and gives insight on how their lives could lead if they are back home. Lieutenant Cross’s personal items however, may be the reason members of his platoon are dying.
For example Lieutenant Cross was always thinking about Martha the women he loved back in the United States. This thought of her made Lieutenant Cross forget that he was in a war zone and before he knew it Ted Lavender died because of his emotional thought about her. Lieutenant Cross and Tim O’Brien share the same feeling of guilt. Lieutenant Cross feels bad after but one can see how these thoughts hit oneself hard and just like Tim O’Brien this sticks with him a long time because he believes if was focused and not going into his own world he could of saved one of his fellow
John Wade tried to make something of himself, but his past shooting of a fellow soldier and his “participation” in the My Lai Massacre, came back to ruin him in his run for a seat in the U.S. Senate. He also suffered from flashbacks to his war years and from what seems to be undiagnosed multiple personality disorder. His other persona was his nickname in Vietnam, Sorcerer. This book is a discussion of how soldiers relieve their experiences in war every day of their lives and how they can influence all aspects of their lives, from jobs to
O’Brian’s platoon mates try to get him to talk about what he had done, but O’Brian does not respond to them. He is lost in thought. O’Brian can not help but think about the boys life being cut short, all because of him. After reading “The Things They Carried” I learned a lot about the memory of the Vietnam War. Not many veterans openly discuss the war, and for good reason.
One of the soldiers fails to fit the gas mask in time, and Owen masterfully describes himself witnessing the soldier’s gruesome death. Owen ends the poem with the Latin proverb from Horace's Odes (III.2.13) ‘Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori’, meaning 'It is sweet and proper to die for one's country' (Dr. Stuart Lee, 1997). With those last few lines, Owen expresses his deepest disapproval of the war. He is rejecting the traditional view that glorifies war, calling it ‘The old Lie’ (line 27). Owen is addressing the reader, who possibly doesn’t have the first hand experience of the war, and criticising the enthusiasm with which the war is described, particularly to vulnerable children (BBC, 2013).
In Quite in the western Front when Paul returned home the society was in complete disillusion. No one had any sort of idea about what he had just been enduring in the war. People were so caught up in the admirable aspects of war and what propaganda had taught them, they were blind to what was going on. Death and murder became