The emotion a soldier experiences cannot be understood by anyone except those in war. This emotion is unique to each individual, as we all have different outlooks on life, death and war. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’s experience of the death of Lavender undoubtedly illustrates the effect war eventually makes on a soldier. Due to his mistake, Cross “felt shame. He hated himself.
North Vietnamese were against the Americans during the war and had multiple reasons in hating Americans. Some reasons they hated Americans were because the North Vietnamese “deaths were very many” (Adams) and because of the “the poisons Americans dropped” (Adams) onto their land. By having so many deaths, the families of those people were sad and the North Vietnamese troops lessened. The poisons
Soldiers adapt to the different criterions of war, to the point where the word death loses its emotional value. In the text, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, ceaselessly slaughtering people merely becomes a soldier’s duty. Paul says, “We have become wild beasts…we can destroy and kill to save ourselves.”(Remarque, 15) This shows that death no longer is considered a sensitive topic, in the soldiers’ views. Also, they don’t have any humane thoughts/feelings before assassinating someone because it becomes a part of their reflexive skills and therefore, requires no second thoughts or sensitive feelings. They seem to be indifferent to the fact that they have killed someone because assassination merely becomes their ‘job.’ In a similar manner, Generals Die in Bed by Charles Yale Harrison, is inclusive of the same insensitiveness and indifference towards the death and murdering of people.
“Generals Die in Bed” shows that humans are totally dehumanised by war. Discuss. ‘Generals Die in Bed’, written by Charles Yale Harrison demonstrates the tremendous impact that war can have on an ordinary man and the dehumanising acts that this entails. It shows that the battle of war can test the dignity and morals of men and the emotional impact of this can further destroy that of comradeship and mateship. However, when all dignity and values seem lost, signs of their former selves can, and do return.
Shell shock was a term only associated with World War one due to the major impact it had throughout the war. It was specifically used in Britain to express a psychological breakdown for a soldier from stress and trauma and fear from battles and fighting. It was hard to cure them as people and doctors considered them to be cowards therefore refused to offer help. Some men only received help depending on their high class or rank in the community, while others were even put on trial and even executed for being ‘cowards’. Shell shock caused a lot of problems and casualties for the country and for the war.
Charles Yale Harrison’s novel “Generals die in bed” directly depicts the catastrophic dehumanization of soldiers in war through each and every one of his characters. Dehumanization is the process of losing altruistic or individual qualities, as may occur in some psychotic states or in environments that produce emotional trauma and may be influenced by external forces. The environment and external forces in Harrison’s novel were the trenches. From the beginning of the novel the men are normal civilians, with morals and righteous beliefs who show great respect for their fellow man. Yet soon after they are stationed on the western front these men are transformed into barbaric killers whom resent and show very little mercy for their fellow man
Loneliness, like many other misleading emotions can lead to insanity. The soldiers in The Wars are given time to think, to regret, to feel guilty and ultimately succumbed to the emotions of anguish. Timothy Findley demonstrates that the loneliness of war has the potential to result in depression and eventual insanity. Through careful analysis of Timothy Findley’s The Wars, it will become evident that depression, loneliness and insanity are not just emotions felt on the front line, but also at home. By the thorough
These two themes show the ugly side of war. Insanity among the soldiers and the way they view each other is very unusual. The soldiers can’t conform to one another or follow a common set of rules. The reader also sees that regardless of his mental state, Yossarian can’t be discharged. The theme of death, is one that is against war.
Through Wiesel and Roman’s stories about their loss of innocence and haunting memories, we learned that the cruel and obscene methods used by the Nazis and SS Officers caused the vicious afterthoughts of those who survived the horrifying experiences that no human should endure. When Wiesel and his family
The soldiers in both stories have experienced traumatic events which lead them into a mentally unstable state. The way death plays a role in each story makes the story seem real. Wayne Karlin’s “Search and Destroy” talks about the death of the rats in such a cruel and brutal way that it makes the soldiers seem like savages. This is all war’s doing, war has turned the soldiers into savages, into animals that hunt their prey. At war the motto is “kill or be killed” and the choice you make can lead to your survival or your death.