"Enemy Mine" is a powerful allegory for the human condition and the dangers of prejudice and hatred. The film illustrates the destructive nature of fear and mistrust, as well as the transformative power of empathy and understanding, through the story of two alien species at war. The main allegory of the film is the relationship between the human pilot Willis Davidge and the Drac warrior Jeriba Shigan. The two are initially bitter enemies, with Davidge seeing the Dracs as nothing more than monstrous aliens and Shigan seeing Davidge as a ruthless killer. However, as they are stranded on a hostile planet and forced to work together to survive, they begin to understand and appreciate each other's cultures and ways of life. This transformation …show more content…
The planet is a waste land scarred by constant warfare between humans and Dracs. As Davidge and Shigan struggle to survive on the planet, they realize that their hatred for each other is causing nothing but destruction. This allegory emphasizes the importance of finding common ground and working toward peace rather than blindly following the destructive cycle of war. The film also criticizes the destructive nature of war. Willis and Jerry are initially portrayed as soldiers who are willing to kill each other without hesitation. However, as they spend more time together, they begin to question the war and its motivations. They realize that the war isn't about winning or losing, but about the senseless loss of life. This serves as a reminder that war is not a viable solution to conflicts and that there are more constructive ways to resolve disputes. The film's theme also emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding. The film shows how empathy can break down barriers and bring people together through the interactions of Davidge and Shigan. They begin to understand and respect each other's cultures and ways of life as they spend more time together. This transformation is a powerful reminder of the importance of understanding and valuing other people's perspectives, regardless of their background or
All the moments were explain in a specific way that would make you feel the moment and interpret it in a real way. They carried things that a normal human living wouldn’t be able to handle: their friends who have been dead, their own lives; so many responsibilities in their back all time carried them. There’s not time in the war to winning, you just take a big breath and move on. Past is past; people die but those one who are alive need to continue their live normally.
Imagine what war looks like. An image of suffering, grief, guilt, torture. The story, while set in Vietnam, is just as relevant today with the conflicts we have. Tim O’Brien, the main character, had to go through all the discomfort that comes with war. Even with all of the external and physical battles, the real conflict might just be inside the soldier.
The way each character acted and behaved in the war sort of related to myself and how I think I would be like in a war. For example when a man named Jorgenson panicked when he had seen someone injured during a battle, he didn’t know what to do. Many people can relate, even myself, when Jorgenson had said, “When you got hit, I kept telling myself to move, move, but I couldn’t do it, like I was full of drugs or something.” His reaction during the war and being in shock when so many other things are happening is the result of why so many people can relate to him. Nobody is prepared to take in so much even during a war.
But both kinds of wars experienced made an impact on us and our loved ones. In A Separate Peace, Gene and Phineas were two young boys who were the remains of what peace looked like. They were described as being careless and wild, as sixteen year olds should be. The two boys were considered inseparable, till death did them part, and because of this an emotion went unnoticed until it grew to a bigger problem.
O’Brien becomes psychologically conflicted about the meaning and morality of the war. Erik, a fellow solider, intellectually challenges O’Brien to question what their roles are in war. Together they show a psychological resistance to the military throughout the
This shows that although at the time of fighting, soldiers tend to lose their humanity as they depend upon their instincts to help protect themselves, in the end the situation is different. When face to face with an individual, the humanity trait kicks back in and no longer is killing perceived as a purpose. All that is felt is sympathy towards the
The narrative debunks stereotypes and encourages empathy, ultimately bridging the gap between different cultural
Soldiers create intimate and valuable relationships. Curt Lemon and Rat form a close relationship and they can trust each other “with [their lives]” (65). Yet, Rat loses Curt because soldiers frequently lose these relationships because of war’s “absolute and uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil” (66). Losing one’s best friend is “so incredibly sad and true” (66), but it is an everyday occurrence during war. Concluding the chapter, the narrator determines that war “is never about war”, and is solely about the “love”, “sorrow” (81), and memories shared.
Joseph Lee builds the theme by comparing the narrator’s thoughts before and after truly seeing the German prisoners. At first, his “mad impulse was all to smite and slay, / [and] To spit upon [them]” (Lee 3-4), but after seeing how their faces displayed “doubt, despair, and disillusionment” (9), the narrator instantly feels a connection with the enemy. The alliteration of “smite”, “slay”, and “spit” emphasizes the narrator’s anger and vengefulness, while the alliteration of “doubt”, “despair”, and “disillusionment” highlights the mental and emotional impact the war had on the soldiers. These struggles are shared by all soldiers, and they can understand each other despite fighting on opposite sides of the war. The narrator is able to empathize with his enemy, causing a brief friendship to form.
In the story, O’Brien exposes various forces of brutality from the soldiers, the main source of war, with the purpose of portraying a real and honest image of what war really is like in order for others to reflect on the cruelty of
These guys saw each other at their weakest and their strongest. They would form a lifetime bond that is unforgettable Sometimes you take what you have for granted, and you don’t know what you have until you lose it. When soldiers lost their friends on the field, it was life changing. The person they told everything to was lying in their arms dead. You think about what they lost and the family and girlfriend they had.
William Goldman develops the character Inigo Montoya through a backstory by illustrating the character’s goals and building up the character through a developed sense of empathy towards the character. Goldman made many unconventional writing choices in his novel, and many of them have a purpose. An example of this is the backstories used. Readers will see backstories, or some figment of their past, for many of the main characters. Inigo’s backstory begins on page 105, while he is waiting for the man in black to reach the top of the Cliffs of Insanity.
This portrayal reveals the shared humanity of the soldiers on both sides and how in war beauty and horror
In Tim O'Brien's “Enemies” and “Friends”, O'Brien shows the effect the nature of war has on individuals and how war destroys and creates friendships. These two stories describe the relationship between two soldiers, Lee Strunk and Dave Jensen. In “Enemies”, friendship is broken over a fist fight about a stolen jackknife, which leaves Strunk with a broken nose and Jensen paranoid of whether or not Strunk’s revenge is coming. While in “Friends”, you see how the nature of war creates a bond of trust, even between people who first saw each other as enemies.
Dunbar’s involvement in the tribe and the relationships he forms with the people teach him and the viewer the value of intercultural communication and acceptance. Additionally, this is displayed in the recurring acts of gift giving throughout the film. Despite the friendly mood of the film and endearing way of portraying this