Corporal Mark Donaldson Character Analysis

John Green once said, “For me the hero’s journey is not the voyage from weakness to strength. The true hero’s journey is the voyage from strength to weakness.” Ishmael Beah went from feeling like he was on top of the world to feeling like he didn’t belong in this crazy world. Beah follows Campbell’s idea of the hero's journey. It appears in drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development. It describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe, or civilization.In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah wrote about his life experience before he came to America and what he had to go through as a kid. With losing his family, then becoming a child

“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is a short story set during the Vietnam War. In the story, O’Brien lists many different items soldiers in the Alpha Company carried with them as they humped across the rugged terrain. Many carried necessities such as rations, matches, ammunition and things of that nature; however, many soldiers also carried quite peculiar objects such as condoms, pantyhose, and M&Ms. Readers can grasp a closer insight of the characters’ lives after further examination of the symbolism and meaning of the things they carried. Three characters in this story that carried interesting belongings are Kiowa, Ted Lavender, and Jimmy Cross.

Tim O’Brien was drafted to fight in a war he doesn’t believe in. His principles were telling him to run away from the war, but he was too ashamed not to fight. Being a soldier was well respected in his conservative hometown, and not fighting would cause disgrace to fall upon his family. Despite his morals being against it, O’Brien decided to go war and fight, “I survived,” he explained, “but it’s not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to the war” (O’Brien 79). Although O’Brien was against fighting in the war, he still fought because he was ashamed and afraid that he would be scorned if he did not. In the end, Tim O’Brien lets his shame win over his morals,because he believed the strongest thing would have been to run away, but instead he chose the weaker option.

The quiet ones are the dangerous ones. That is the case when it comes to Mark Kinney, the mastermind behind the plot to kidnap Mr. Griffin. In the book Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan, Mark is a malicious, sullen and charismatic character.

“The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, brings to light the psychological impact of what soldiers go through during times of war. We learn that the effects of traumatic events weigh heavier on the minds of men than all of the provisions and equipment they shouldered. Wartime truly tests the human body and and mind, to the point where some men return home completely destroyed. Some soldiers have been driven to the point of mentally altering reality in order to survive day to day. An indefinite number of men became numb to the deaths of their comrades, and yet secretly desired to die and bring a conclusion to their misery. Over all, this story allows us to observe changes within the mentalities of army officers.

We can all agree that war is dreadful. The impact to citizens and soldiers during times of war is significant and widespread. The fictional works: The Shawl, The Red Convertible and The Things They Carried, allow insight into the impact that war has on individuals. Although these stories are works of fiction, they all resonate real struggle and unbearable circumstances. Throughout these stories, the characters are continually impacted by their surrounding circumstances. These master works of war torn fiction, allow the reader to experience the impact war infuses on soldiers and citizens alike. Through powerful narration, these stories reveal how their characters are impacted physically, emotionally and psychologically by the war that surrounds

Every past and modern culture over the course of history, has its hero’s. A hero is a person or figure that others look up to and use as forms of protection. Many cherish the hero’s, they make up who we are today. The Anglo-Saxon hero, Beowulf, and the postmodern hero/hero’s, the soldiers, both show the traits of bravery, selflessness, and loyalty.

“My Son the Marine” by Frank Schaeffer and John Schaeffer gives us a look into the life of a mother and father; and their feelings toward their son enlisting into the Marine corp. John had aspirations of joining the military to serve his country. He had spoken to recruiters from the Army, Air force, and the Navy but had yet spoken to the Marine Corp. John was taken by the appearance of the two Marines that visited his home. After he spoke with the Marines he decided that if he was going to join the military he would definitely join the Marine Corps.

What does a man have to do to leave a mark in world history? What kind of man does he have to be? The truth is that there are many ways that a man can be remembered. Perhaps to be a man of this nature you must face trials most likely leading to your impending doom, or maybe you have to simply be the one to forget the odds and keep on fighting. Many soldiers in U.S. history are remembered for these exact reasons. They are thought to be strong, brave, and willing to fight to the last man for their country. One such man was George Armstrong Custer. He affected the Civil War with his spirit, fighting, and legendary image.

The article, Fighting Against Hitler, by Lauren Tarshis, describes How a boy named Ben was a jew and many times he was close to getting killed, he then was a partisan. When Ben Kamm was in his early teen years Adolf Hitler was planning on his annihilation of all jews in Europe. When the time of the annihilation came The Nazis and Hitler were burning and/or vandalizing any jewish owned businesses. Jews were not even aloud to step foot in public parks, libraries or leave there house after 5pm. That is what Fighting Against Hitler, by Lauren Tarshis, is about.

Within this paper, there are two different pieces writing that will be compared. Those writings are The Epic Poem of Beowulf and A Hero’s Journey Archetype. This paper will be discussing this question: How does Beowulf follow the Hero’s Journey Archetypes?

In "If I die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home", Tim O’Brien gives the readers a unique insight into the Vietnam War from a soldier’s perspective. He uses dark humor to describe his firsthand experience of combat and the feelings of fear, bravery, and loss. Drafted into the war, O’Brien begins his journey in a training camp in Washington, making a close comrade who shares similar views with him. During his time at the camp, he considers the senselessness of the war and thinks of fleeing the country with his comrade, Erik. O’Brien was surrounded by the era of protest and arguments on the war. Faced with the moral decision of fight or flight, he opts for the former and chooses to stay and fight for his country. Shipped off to the battlefront in Vietnam, his life in combat is drowned in constant fear and anxiety. In fear of death, O’Brien and his fellow soldiers practice courage and bravery every day. They do this while watching American soldiers die in combat from bombs and landmines. Fighting for the Alpha Company, O’Brien witnesses violence and inhumanities of war. He lives in a revolving door of valor and danger as young men fought and died for the country on both sides. Even after O’Brien leaves the frontlines to

Courage is the ability to try something not easy for one’s self. According to the Oxford Dictionary, courage is “The ability to do something that frightens one; bravery”. The theme of ‘courage and what courage brings’ was embroidered deeply in Tim O’Brien’s book, The Things They Carried. The book talks about the traumatic experiences Tim and his soldier friends had been through during the Vietnamese War. The soldiers in Nam were all showing different acts of courage. Norman Bowker and Lieutenant Cross were presenting a bold front for someone else –Kiowa and Martha. Tim O’Brien and Curt Lemon plucked up their courage for themselves. And all the soldiers in the war overcame their fears for their country. The book focuses on both the act and the result of the soldier’s bravery. As some of their courageous acts end in a glorious victory, some finish with a lugubrious way. No matter how the case of courage eventuates, bravery is bravery. Courage as a value is determined by the reason of your actions, not the outcomes.

Would you put your life before others? At first, it’s an easy answer. Most people say they would, but how many of you will take action when that moment comes? Maybe you’ll just freeze up and not know what to do. It takes courage to be willing to throw yourself in peril. Simply stated, Courage is honor and commitment in action. Many American Heroes throughout history have shown this courage, but one specific marine exemplified these values, Jacklyn H. Lucas. His determination, honor, and commitment led to his display of courage and selflessness.

War brings loss to both soldiers and civilians, which establishes many difficulties for people long after the war has passed. War is relative to the person experiencing it; a war that ends with a peace treaty for one could be a life long mental fight for another. Jobs, homes, and loved ones are subject to loss during times of war. As resources and goods are shipped overseas, people living on domestic home fronts suffer the backlash of the fighting. The ones who inevitably experience the most loss are the soldiers fighting within the war. Experiencing things such as the loss of comrades; the will to fight; mental fortitude; and the will to live. War may bring solution to a problem and bring about peace, but war is always a losing battle in which