Scott Westerfeld wrote Leviathan because of a deep interest in history and science. A previous author of sci-fi novels, he was interested in how incorporating science and technology would affect a historical event such as World War I. The novel takes place during World War I, and focuses on the events occurring throughout Europe at that time. The main theme of Leviathan is how destructive war is. The character sin the book experience loss of friends, family, and loved ones, and have their whole lives changed because of war. Some of the characters are eager for war, or interested in it, while others despise it, and are saddened by the destruction it causes. “Maybe this was how you stayed sane in wartime: a handful of noble deeds amid the chaos.” …show more content…
While based on real historic events, it also includes fantastical elements. It takes true events, such as the creation of armored fighting machines, or Darwin’s discoveries about evolution. Then it combines these with futuristic aspects, such as fabricated beasts and war machines that can move about on legs; things that haven’t been invented yet. Westerfeld takes true history and advanced science to make a time period that is unique to any other. In this way, Leviathan is a mixture of both alternate pasts and possible futures. Because of this, Leviathan is very effective at exploring the difference between machinery and science. It especially looks at this from the point of view of battles and war, and the effects these creations would have on them. To this extent it was very effective, because it not only teaches the reader about real life events, but also makes the reader think about different possibilities and outcomes for those events. This also helped to enhance my knowledge of World War I. After reading this book, I had a greater grasp of the politics surrounding World War I. This includes the reasons for the war, as well as the ulterior motives between the different countries involved. Since reading Leviathan, I have a better understanding of why World War I occurred, and the relationships between the countries
Richard Bensel’s Yankee Leviathan: The Origins of Central State Authority in America, 1857-1877, is a book on the formation of the United States Federal government during the Civil War and the Reconstruction eras. The book deals with the association of the Northern class and the Federal government. It provides a history of the economy during the Civil War and help to reveal why a socialist economy would not further the American economy. Bensel is of the belief that an independent state authority would be a better form of government. He contended the United States Federal government’s growth was as a result of the Civil War during the Reconstruction era. In addition, Bensel believed the Civil War attributed to the Northern Financial class, which ensued from association with bankers in the North. He saw political
In the incredible book, All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, the reader follows Paul Baumer, a young man who enlisted in the war. The reader goes on a journey and watches Paul and his comrades face the sheer brutality of war. In this novel, the author tries to convey the fact that war should not be glorified. Through bombardment, gunfire, and the gruesome images painted by the author, one can really understand what it would have been like to serve on the front lines in the Great War. The sheer brutality of the war can be portrayed through literary devices such as personification, similes, and metaphors.
Storm of Steel follows the author, Ernst Junger, as he navigates the different battlegrounds of World War 1. The story takes place from 1915 to 1918 and is primarily on the western front with France. The story begins with Ernst Junger’s initial deployment and tracks his time in the war using excerpts from his journal. Junger takes part in many famous battles across Europe including the battles of the Somme, Arras, Ypres, and Cambrai, and he helps repel invaders from Guillemont. He has many encounters that show the horrors of war but he depicts them in an non-attached or even unemotional way. Ernst steadily rises through the ranks until he is taken out of action in 1918 due to a shot to his chest. Even though many scenes show the horrors of war and the terrible things it does to people, the book as a whole never takes a stance on war. The authors true purpose for writing this book is not to make war look glorious, nor is it to make war seem like the worse thing that humans will ever do, it is to simply show war from the view of a soldier.
Over the past 100 years sharks attack numbers, though rare, have been increasing. Ironically two of the most recent attacks have happened this month, which is the 40 year anniversary of the movie Jaws. these two attacks happened at Oak Island in North Carolina. The two attacks were at different times, only by hours, but on the same beach. It’s suspected that either a tiger or bull shark had attacked these two teen girls, but usually great white, lemon, spinner sharks are to blame for human attacks. Attacks this year had also been performed by a nurse and mako shark. Most attacks are categorized as “provoked attacks.” This is like a shark getting a shark bite during spearfishing, shark catching, or even releasing it from a line. Sharks accidentally
The Wars, written by Timothy Findley, is a story about World War I, and consists of many shocking images passed over to the reader. Findley accomplishes to pull the reader into the narrative itself, so that the reader manages to feel an impact upon him/her-self about what is read. If it was not for this specific skill, or can also be seen as a specific genre, the novel would not have been as successful as it is now. Also, something that helps the book be so triumphant, there is the fact that Findley never overwhelms the reader with too many gruesome details about the World War I. Instead, he breaks the book down to help the reader calm down from everything that is happening. Throughout the essay, there is going to be some commenting on a
An anti-war novel often portrays many of the bad aspects and consequences of war. Erich Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel set in the First World War that is against war. Remarque describes the terrible reality of the war, focusing on the horrors and involved. The novel portrays an anti-war perspective as it brings up issues about the brutality of war, the narrator’s change of attitude towards war, the futility of war and the deaths of the narrator’s friends.
Annotated Bibliography 1. The Proficient Pilot: Volume 1 by Barry Schiff All pilots are proficient when they pass there check ride, but unfortunately were not perfect and our skills can degrade over time. This book offers valuable advice on how to stay proficient thought the years of being an aviator. Barry breaks down the techniques and mechanics of maneuvers aviators rarely use to maneuvers used on every flight. He also gives some valuable insight on how he has learned to mentally handle emergencies and other flying aspects.
The design of this novel was structured from Kurt Vonnegut’s own World War II experiences. The one experience that seemed to stand out the most in the novel was the Dresden air raids. Vonnegut saw the air raids as senseless, so every time Vonnegut is describing the raids in the novel we see a distinct pattern, Vonnegut uses his novel to depict to the reader a feel of senselessness every time the bombing is mentioned. As a witness to the destruction, Billy confronts fundamental questions about the meanings of life and death. Traumatized by the events in Dresden, Billy is still left lost with no answers. Although his life as a working family man is considerably satisfying, he is unable to find peace of mind because of the trauma he suffered in Dresden. (Vonnegut,
Where innumerous catastrophic events are simultaneously occurring and altering the mental capability of its viewers eternally, war is senseless killing. The participants of war that are ‘fortunate’ enough to survive become emotionally distraught civilians. Regardless of the age of the people entering war, unless one obtains the mental capacity to witness numerous deaths and stay unaffected, he or she is not equipped to enter war. Kurt Vonnegut portrays the horrors of war in Slaughterhouse Five, through the utilization of satire, symbolism, and imagery.
Limiting a person’s rights affects his or her existence. In “Staying Human,” Dinesh D’Souza explains the negative impact genetic engineering has on individuals. In her writing, D’Souza contemplates parents’ unnatural authority to the humanity of children. Then, D’Souza emphasizes the power parents’ have from designing their own children and the ethical issue concerning parents’ role as the creator instead of God. Since parents’ control the children's lives, genetic engineering results in the children's freedom and individuality to diminish.
In contrast, the author uses George as a metaphor for those who would fight, kill, and die in the war; this element is an important part of the author’s persuasive strategy. W.D. Howells wants to appeal to the values and the emotional sensibility of his audience, for this reason, Howells portrays George as passive and unsure of himself. George is fearful of the war and he sees no glory in it. He believes that God is peaceful and the idea that God would advocate for war runs counter to George’s belief in peace. In short, the author uses George’s story to illustrate the consequences of war for the reader. This strategy works to persuade a resistant audience to relate to George, hence, lowering their resistance to the anti-war message of this piece.
The second theme is the unromantic reality of war. Richie and most other soldiers enter the war with illusions about what the war will be like. Like most other civilians, he learned what war is from movies he watched and stories that he heard and they portray battles as heroic and glorious, the army being organized and efficient, and the warfare depending on skills and
To sum up, this novel narrates the journey of a soldier throughout the war in Iraq and his mind altering experience. The war represents a major downfall in his life in which he encounters many graphic scenes. Even though John describes his experiences in the war as a
The topic of war is hard to imagine from the perspective of one who hasn't experienced it. Literature makes it accessible for the reader to explore the themes of war. Owen and Remarque both dipcik what war was like for one who has never gone through it. Men in both All Quiet on the Western Front and “Dulce Et Decorum” experience betrayal of youth, horrors of war and feelings of camaraderie.
As long as there has been war, those involved have managed to get their story out. This can be a method of coping with choices made or a way to deal with atrocities that have been witnessed. It can also be a means of telling the story of war for those that may have a keen interest in it. Regardless of the reason, a few themes have been a reoccurrence throughout. In ‘A Long Way Gone,’ ‘Slaughterhouse-Five,’ and ‘Novel without a Name,’ three narrators take the readers through their memories of war and destruction ending in survival and revelation. The common revelation of these stories is one of regret. Each of these books begins with the main character as an innocent, patriotic soldier or civilian and ends in either the loss of innocence and regret of choices only to be compensated with as a dire warning to those that may read it. These books are in fact antiwar stories meant not to detest patriotism or pride for one’s country or way of life, but to detest the conditions that lead to one being so simpleminded to kill another for it. The firebombing of Dresden, the mass execution of innocent civilians in Sierra Leone and a generation of people lost to the gruesome and outlandish way of life of communism and Marxism should be enough to convince anyone. These stories serve as another perspective for the not-so-easily convinced.