The reality of what life is like as an American soldier and an American citizen.
How different is a soldier from a civilian? In “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” a novel written by Ben Fountain, portrays two different voices that clearly represent two different sides of the story. On one side, we have the main character named Billy Lynn, who depicts the perspectives of an American soldier and on the other side, we have Ben Fountain the author's voice which represents the American citizens. By the usage of two different of voices in the story the author manages to separate the similarities and differences of how life is like as an American soldier and an American citizen. And by doing so it gives a chance for the reader to have clear idea of
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“Life in the Army is miserable that way.”(Fountain,3). In this statement and by the tone on Billy’s voice it really shows the harsh reality of what he had to deal with in the army and how it's not easy compared to a citizen's life. Coming from the author’s voice “Billy finds himself constantly wondering about them. What are they thinking? What do they want? Do they know they’re alive?”(Fountain,22). This statement being made by the author on Billy’s point of view seems to show how questioning and doubtful he is serving for the American citizens. From the expressions Billy is showing it seems as if he was hesitant doing his services and being in the army. Other than Billy’s perspective as an American soldier being pointed out there is also the side of the American citizens where the author mentions their appreciation for their services. “ … , the raw wavering voices and frenzied speech patterns, the gibberish spilled from the mouths of seemingly well-adjusted citizens.” (Fountain,37). On the contrary of me being as one of the american citizen just like in the story it seems as if the chants, the voices, and the speeches being said by the citizens shows how me and them are just alike and is grateful and thankful for those people who risk their lives each and everyday fighting for their/our country. Besides the compensations of great appreciation from the
The American Revolution marked the history of many heroic events that immaculately stand as true inspirations for the generations to come in the United States. Even today, the gallantry of a few soldiers that won independence for the country is not only kept in the hearts of the people but run in the American blood to demonstrate acts of valor at times of war and hardships. One such story recorded in the history dates back to 1776, about a sixteen-year old juvenile, Joseph Plumb Martin, joined the Rebel Infantry and recorded his tribulations about forty-seven years in a memoir titled as “A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier”. The book mainly focuses on the sufferings through the tough situation he went through.
The book can show how much detail it has. For example, in the book it says, “I was
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, is a postmodern, anti war novel, involving the main character, Billy Pilgrim, and his transportation through the different moments of his life. The timeline of this particular book ranges all the way from when Billy was a small boy and all the way to his death. Because of the book taking place in many different times of Billy’s life and in many places of it, Kurt Vonnegut both hides and reveals truth in it. Many examples of this can be found throughout the events of Billy’s adventures, most notably before and during the fire bombings of Dresden.
Like what you ate for breakfast and who ranked up you think what soldiers go through nowadays and why they act so different when they come back because of how much war changes you. This depiction of war that the writer Walter Dean Myers shows us everything these soldiers go through and how it changes a man you could be a nonviolent man and never believe in god but once you're thrown in war your whole life will be
With all of these soul-shattering, life-changing conditions, it is less of a war and more of a test of strength for the soldiers, here at Valley Forge. Some men were going home and not returning. Other men just completely deserted. Even George Washington’s position was uncertain, the members of congress didn’t trust him. Life at Valley Forge was obviously horrible, and the ugly truth is that it wouldn’t get much better.
War’s Reality We as humans find conflict to be rash and futile, but to the soldiers that fight for our freedom, it is an honor and a privilege, but it is dreadful nonetheless. We are going to be discussing Tim O'Brien's intentions in writing the short story “Where Have You Gone Charming Billy.” It is my understanding that he wrote the story to tell us about war as it is hard to imagine its entirety and that war takes lives. Finally, I believe that he wants us to see how dangerous and terrifying war really is.
While Paul, the main character, was on leave from the war he says, “I find I do not belong here any more, it is a foreign world” (168). For the soldiers the real world is hard for them to cope because they are so accustomed to battling for their lives. They are so used to be in a world where all they do is fight; to come home to normalcy where there is no battling and worrying is
The books that are being compared and contrasted are both about The Civil War and what these soldiers went through. Each book has a few differences that separate them. The books are based on the same time period so they are going to have a lot in common. The books describe what both characters had to go through during the war. The differences in the book will show you how each soldier went through the war differently and the similarity’s will show you how it was for most of the soldiers in the Civil War.
How it was shaped: Tim allowed the draft of the Vietnam war and societal pressures get to the best of him and he slowly tore himself apart, he started off as a confident incorrigible man. His morals later then became corrupted, he gave into the pressures, his self proclaimed Lone Ranger status had been infected and debunked by his end decision of serving in the Vietnam war. Thesis: In the story, On the Rainy River, the author, Tim O’Brien demonstrates that an individual allows societal pressures and expectations to override their core values, morals, and beliefs; peer pressure forces individuals to put their beliefs aside so they can fit in with everyone else. The narrator, Tim O’Brien faces a similar situation when he get’s drafted for the Vietnam War.
Billy Pilgrim’s introduction to the war was grim. Soon after his arrival, the regiment he was supposed to be a chaplain’s assistant for was under attack. Three soldiers from the regiment allowed him to follow them. The three soldiers all had
Life is presented with a turning point, or life changing experiences, whether it is good or bad. Some people who had a life changing experiences had changed their lives, and also their countries’ lives. Three people that had a turning point in their lives are, Melba Pattillo Beals from memoir Warriors don’t ryWarriors Don’t Cry, Jackie Robinson from autobiography I Never Had It Made, and “The Father of Chinese Aviation” by Rebecca Maksel, which highlights Feng Ru. Melba Pattillo Beals, Jackie Robinson, and Feng Ru had affected their country, and their lives.
The author compares the soldiers because he wants the readers
In the poem, “What Every Soldier Should Know”, Brian Turner, details the ever-present threat of death in a war zone. This poem expesses not only the terror of the American soldiers, but also exemplifies the emotions that the Middle Eastern soldiers feel towards the American soldiers. The soldiers are experiencing death, chaos, and disorder, but for some of the middle eastern people, they experience that every day. A lot of Middle Eastern people are normal people, defending their home land, their family, and their country.
Soldiers were not viewed as brave men risking their lives, and the war was seen as an unnecessary event. This type of mentality is seen in the novel with the perceptions of the soldiers. The narrator expresses the view of the time period when he states, “They were soldiers’ coats. Billy was the only one who had a coat from a dead civilian” (82). The meaning behind this is very crucial because it establishes a definite division between soldiers and civilians.
Present throughout the book is the theme of disillusionment. In the school, they’ve been told by their schoolmasters and parents that unless they join the war, they would remain cowards. They see propaganda after propaganda, all alluding towards the glory of battle and warfare. Out on the front, they realize that nothing was further from the truth. Their dreams of being heroes shattered, like when they compare themselves to the soldier on a poster in chapter 7.