Another terrible problem was the rats. There were literally millions of rats running around the trenches. They fed on the dead remains of the soldiers and could grow to the size of a rat. These rats carried many diseases that killed many of the men there as well. Lice were another dilemma in the trenches.
Lee is shamed by what has happened to his country, his family and to him. He is desperate to strike back, to carry the war to the invaders and make a difference. One of the main things Ellie finds attractive about the plan for the attack on the bridge is that the idea brings so much life back to Lee. Extract 1: Lee, an intense young man "Tomorrow, When The War Began", Ch 13, p178, Lee's interest in Ellie " There was Lee, who kept looking at me with his possum eyes, as though his wounded leg was the only thing stopping him from leaping up and grabbing me. I was a little afraid of the depth of feeling in those beautiful eyes."
Albert Einstein was asked what weapons World War III would be fought with, to which he replied “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones”. War is a monster that feeds on the patriotism and ideals of young men and leaves horror and suffering in its wake. While reading the book All Quiet on the Western Front, I developed a deeper understanding of what war is like, and why it should be avoided at all costs. As a teenager growing up in America, I was surrounded by the concept of war. Most of these depictions show war being glorious, noble, and even fun at times.
As he kills his enemy and the light emerges, the light is shone upon his situation, revealing a tragically ironic twist. His so-called enemy has been revealed to be his brother. We know by the characterization of the story that the sniper is accustomed to death, he’s “used to looking at it”. This reveals a certain dark side of the man, the fact that he is so comfortable taking the lives of others. We see in the murder of the woman in the street that the sniper doesn’t seem to mind her shrieks of terror followed by the grim silence of death.
Through this detailed description, Gurganus adds to his argument, making the war sound even more horrific. He is trying to get people to see his perspective, and to make all the glory of war seem meaningless. We send these men over to live in terrible conditions and they don’t even know why they are there
O'Brien's extract conveys to the readers the contradictory feelings that war evokes in a person. War can be seen in different perspectives and can be felt with many different emotions. The author describes war as astonishing; an adjective rarely used in the general opinion. But O'Brien has seen and felt first hand, and writes that war makes you grow up and learn about yourself as a person. You learn to value life in those desperate moments where death comes close.
Death was constant and not unusual for soldiers. Many soldiers didn’t even survive the first day. Besides this, many of the trenches were infested with rats, and soldiers feared them. Rats tended to feed on human corpses, spread infections and contaminate food. Rats weren’t the only problem concerning infection.
“You never know who your enemy is.” I found this statement to be a reoccurring theme in “The Sniper” while reading. I believe this is a perfect theme because the sniper had no idea who was on the other side and would not have known if he didn’t look at the dead body. The main character in this selection was not officially named but was referred to as the sniper. In the selection the sniper had both an internal and external conflict. The external conflict was that he was fighting in the middle of the war and the only way to survive was to kill all the opponents.
Fay Dickinson Professor Luke Dilworth 603-101-MQ 2 October 2012 Animal Born from War At almost any given point in human history the human race has been at war over something. Land, resources, religion; no matter what the cause all hold the same in one respect: men killing men. In the aftermath of all this there are thousands upon millions of traumatized soldiers who are left suffering from symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and similar mental issues. However what of those who are seemingly fine after they are away from the battles? Did they really see men die before them and walk away unaffected?
Through imagery, perspective, and symbolism, O’Brien, Tim. “The Man I Killed” illustrates the devastating psychological impact of war upon a soldier. The central theme is time. "O'Brien" the soldier is frozen in a moment in time, recalling the entire history of the dead Vietnamese man while the American troop of soldiers are all moving forward, preparing for another day at war. The one word that best describes the mood of this vignette is shock.