War has tremendous influence. It quite literally changes the landscape of the world. As humans have evolved, so has war. Yet while the specifics of war evolve and change, the consequences don’t. No matter who or why or how soldiers are fighting, there will always be loss. Whether stabbed by a sword or blown apart by an IED, soldiers will still feel pain, mothers will still cry and there will still be devastation. War affects all who encounter it differently, some go mad, others face life in a wheelchair or hospital bed, very few reap the rewards that are promised. Every age and place offer examples of such individual's, expressed in a multitude of ways. Two such examples from modern American literature and film are Joe Bonham and Charlie Anderson. …show more content…
Unlike Joe, Charlie has very strong beliefs about most things, including war. The American Civil War is occurring and Charlie insists that no one in his family should join either side because the conflict doesn’t concern them. He believes that one should only fight in war if they feel strongly about the side they are on, individuals shouldn’t go off to war because that’s what society is demanding. Charlie clearly demonstrates his strong morales multiple times throughout the film. There are many recruiters, politicians and even generals who test his will and he turns them all away. It is only when his youngest son is taken by confederates that he enters the fray. While Charlie’s views of the war may be strong, they are nothing compared to his family values. Charlie puts his family above all else.. Unlike Joe Charlie listens to what those close to him have to say and values their views. Charlie still honors his late wife whereas Joe envies his dead father. He makes sure to attend church, even if he’s late and causes a ruckus, simply because it was his wife's final wish. It is only when a member of his family is swallowed by the Civil War, that he succumbs and starts fighting. And even then the Anderson’s are on no side but their own. Charlie, unlike Joe, is strong willed even before war. It is only after emerging from battle that these two men's values are transformed and bolstered to become remarkably
In the wise words of Charlie Anderson, “[I]f we don’t try, we don’t do. And if we don’t do, why are we here on this Earth?” Charlie Anderson is the protagonist in the movie Shenandoah, who lives with his six sons, Jacob, James, John, Nathan, Henry, and Boy, and his daughter, Jennie. Charlie Anderson is the type of person who responds to everything by trying and giving it his all, but only if it concerns him. The movie takes place during the Civil war, which occurs near their family farm and Charlie’s intent was to stay neutral because he felt that the war did not concern him, until his youngest son, Boy, was mistaken for a union soldier and taken by the confederate army. Charlie ventures off with five of his sons and his daughter, while James and his wife, Ann, and their baby stay back at the house. Along the way, tragedy strikes the family, affecting them in ways that cannot be undone. The protagonist in the novel Johnny Got his Gun, Joe Bonham, was drafted into the war and greatly injured as a result. Joe experiences a loss of his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and limbs. The only thing that Joe is left with is a working brain and very little ways to communicate with the outside world. As the novel progresses, Joe faces an immense amount of internal conflict and struggles with the effects that war has on him. Although both Charlie and Joe experience the harsh impacts of war, they respond to them in quite different ways.
Actions tested there ethical and moral values. After this point these soldiers have to cope with the cause and effect from their actions. Coping can cause mental illnesses, and addiction but also you can cope with these some things plus more things such as love, and mortality. This is the most important struggle that had to take care of for their survival. But why is this still relevant to today's society? Tim o’brien used many methods while writing this book to help the reader to understand the soldiers experiences and feelings throughout the war. These methods include imagery, repetition, hyperbole, metaphors, allusions, and many
Over the past few decades, the war changed everyone’s perspective. According to NCBI, 61% civilians suffer from psychological disorders caused by wars. Specifically, two books, Night and Persepolis, talks about the author experiences during the war and their struggles. Elie Wiesel, the author of Night, documents his childhood when he was maltreated by the Nazis, and Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis, share her experiences during the Iraq-Iran war of how it change her. War changes childhood because of near-death experiences, family departure, and witness horrific acts of violence.
Many people say that war is worse than Hell because innocent people die in it. In Beah’s life, this is most definitely true. Throughout the war, Beah goes through many hardships and witnesses the deaths of innocent loved ones, and Beah’s writing reflects how he felt during these times. Beah uses rhetorical strategies like diction, imagery, and detail choice to convey the emotional process he had to undergo in order to survive.
It’s no secret that the horrific violence of war that soldiers bear witness to can affect them negatively. The kind of violence that haunts every aspect of their life, leaving them forever changed. Soldiers suffer from the traumatic events that come with war, long after they have left the warzone. Simon Armitage’s 2008 poem “Remains” delves into the guilt and trauma experienced by soldiers. While Carol Ann Duffy’s 1985 poem “War Photographer” shows bystanders forced to watch the conflict unfold, helpless— change.
To be engaged in war is to be engaged in an armed conflict. Death is an all too ordinary product of war. It is an unsolicited reward for many soldiers that are fighting for their country’s own fictitious freedom. For some of these men, the battlefield is a glimpse into hell, and for others, it is a means to heaven. Many people worry about what happens during war and what will become of their loved ones while they’re fighting, but few realize what happens to those soldiers once they come home. The short stories "Soldier's Home” by Ernest Hemingway and "Speaking of Courage” by Tim O'Brien explore the thematic after effects of war and how it impacts a young person's life. Young people who
War leads to oppression and leaves negative implications on all people and societies by impacting the poor, women, children, and nations as a whole. "War is a state of violent conflict between one or more groups" (Rasenberger 3). Rasenberger defines war as a state of conflict between one group within itself or several groups in combat with each other, what is not mentioned are the after-effects of war. War itself leads to many civilian and military deaths, an estimated 1.5-3.8 million people died during the Vietnam War and an approximate 500,000 people died in the Iraq war. The biggest tragedy of War is that it always results in fatality, but another key, negative, factor to understand is that after the War many adverse implications arise. Post-war ramifications in the nation fall upon the poor, women, and children, making them weaker and less motivated leading to the downfall of a society. Regardless if a nation wins or is defeated in war they have to deal with consequences of war and find solutions to the impacted people and society. It is essential to understand that there is never a true victor in war because regardless of the outcome, fatality and a fall of morale within society on both sides are inevitable. War has often been the solution to situations that required force or violence, but in recent times this has
Undoubtedly, war can take a massive toll on one’s overall health. Although soldiers suffer horrific injuries during combat, their mind continues to take a beating behind the front lines. This concept is powerfully depicted in the novel Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden, where the lives of two soldiers, Xavier and Elijah, are profoundly changed forever both mentally and physically as a result of their experiences in the World War I. As the story progresses, their friendship and well-being begins to drastically deteriorate. Boyden effectively illustrates how Xavier and Elijah’s experiences on the front lines render them unable to go back to who they once were before the war.
Every single person experiences loss differently, especially those that suffer from war. Both the reality of war and the torment it causes, have been shown through works of film and literature since the early 1900’s. In the novel Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo, Joe Bonham loses almost all physical ability from being blown apart by a bomb; losing every trace of his humanity besides his mind, and even that is slowly deteriorating into insanity. Comparably, in the classic 1965 war film, Shenandoah, Charlie Anderson and his family attempt to stay out of the war but are pulled in and end up losing much more than they wanted to. The Andersons, just like Joe, endure both physical and moral pain.
The rambunctious behavior of the soldier’s triumphant victory is a strong message visually for the viewer. These soldiers struggle to find their identity and once the war ends, the identity they’ve build at war vanishes, (McCutcheon, 2007). As a result, they essentially lose a part of them selves, (McCutcheon, 2007). When they return home, many soldiers struggle with psychological issues that prevent them from resuming their once regular lives, (McCutcheon, 2007). The images of soldiers celebrating at the end of war give the viewer a taste of this problem. This also allows the viewer insight to the deeper issues surrounding an American soldier’s mental stability and mentality. Through this image, along with many others throughout the film, the viewer is able to dig deeper and truly analyze what they are seeing.
Essentially , For Ma and Jack, Charlie takes over the role of his father to keep his family happy and living. Charlie’s childhood got taken away when the undertakers taken his lifeless dad away, since then Charlie had to become the role of a father. As a result Charlie takes dangerous risks to keep his family together. Charlie gave up his school time
The text, The Things They Carried', is an excellent example which reveals how individuals are changed for the worse through their first hand experience of war. Following the lives of the men both during and after the war in a series of short stories, the impact of the war is accurately portrayed, and provides a rare insight into the guilt stricken minds of soldiers. The Things They Carried' shows the impact of the war in its many forms: the suicide of an ex-soldier upon his return home; the lessening sanity of a medic as the constant death surrounds him; the trauma and guilt of all the soldiers after seeing their friends die, and feeling as if they could have saved them; and the deaths of the soldiers, the most negative impact a war
When most people of think of war, they generally think of the glorified aspects. Love and violence. Or perhaps their minds are drawn to an image of a soldier’s homecoming: A father embracing his son, crying tears of joy, all while the solider relays his experiences of the war among celebratory decorations. He is now considered a hero. But what difficulties has he faced to get there? This is the side of war that many of us don’t recognize. In the memoir, A Long Way Gone, author and protagonist, Ishmael Beah, experiences civil war and its effects first hand when he is forced into becoming a child soldier in the poor third world country of Sierra Leone. As the novel progresses, Ishmael becomes increasingly addicted to drugs,
Wars are often glorified in tone to give praise and respect for those on the battlefields. There is an overall understanding that there are sacrifices needed in order to accomplish a larger goal. Excluded from this understanding is the realization that the effects of war
Charlie Chaplin did not use sound to communicate to the audience in his movies. Despite the fact that there was no spoken language, his movies were sensational and the audiences loved them. Chaplin was thought of as cinema’s first genius and has been called the single most-influential artist in the history of motion pictures. I am researching Charlie Chaplin to learn how he became a sensational comedian and one of the best actors of all time.