Influential John Knowles

World War II (WWII) is a very common topic discussed in high school english classes mainly due to the facts that WWII is a perfect example of good vs. evil in the real world and there is an endless amount of books written about this tragic era in history. Two examples of these type of books are Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken and Elie Wiesel’s Night; and like all of the other WWII books, these two address themes about the hardships of war and how hope is always present. One specific theme that these books support is that in war, there will always be peace; this is shown through elements of faith, happiness, and trauma. To begin, the two main characters of the books Unbroken and Night face a struggle with their individual faiths, but in very different ways. Louis (Louie) Zamperini initially was not the most religious man but when faced with the most dire of situations he turned to God repeatedly for help and counsel.

The True Weight of War “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.

Sometimes internal wars can be fought just as vehemently and result in as many casualties as an external war. John Knowles shows us this in his novel, A Separate Peace. During the time of this story, WW2 rages on, whilst the main character, Gene Forrester, battles his own internal conflicts just as violently. From the beginning, you can see that the entire novel is revolved around the happenings of World War 2.

When faced with war soldiers change, for better or for worse. Modern culture celebrates the glory of patriotic sacrifice. However, this celebration often leaves out the gritty details and trauma of violence behind war and the way it affects people. Homer’s The Odyssey and William Wyler’s The Best Years of Our Lives clearly discuss these details. Both debate the long-awaited return of warriors that went off to fight a war and the way the experience changes the protagonists.

War and its affinities have various emotional effects on different individuals, whether facing adversity within the war or when experiencing the psychological aftermath. Some people cave under the pressure when put in a situation where there is minimal hope or optimism. Two characters that experience

Rhetorical Analysis of “Losing the War” by Lee Sandlin War is an incredibly ambiguous phenomenon. In today’s world it feels easy to forget anything but life in relative peace. World War II shook the globe. Now, it has has dwindled to mere ripples in between pages of history textbooks and behind the screens of blockbuster films. In Lee Sandlin’s spectacular essay, “Losing the War,” he explains that in the context of World War II, the “amnesia effect” of time has lead to a bizarre situation; “the next generation starts to wonder whether the whole thing [war] ever actually happened,” (361).

The book All Quiet on the Western Front takes place during World War I. The author, Erich Maria Remarque, describes how dehumanizing war can be for soldiers who give their life to serve their country and protect it. Remarque specifically describes the hardships of a German soldier Paul during the war. Through Remarque’s story we learn that war affects relationships, thought processes, natural instincts and many more functions of a soldier. We learn over the course of this book that all soldiers change through war.

In the story “All Quiet on the Western Front,” WW1 is narrated by a German soldier, Paul. The war is explained as having mainly negative effects on the soldiers: “...men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war.” (1) In the beginning of the novel, Paul and his friends dreams about what their life would be like if there was peace. Their view on the war’s brutality is not deep, but many feel it has ruined any chance at a normal life.

Throughout the ages, wars have wreaked havoc and caused great destruction that lead to the loss of millions of lives. However, wars also have an immensely destructive effect on the individual soldier. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, one is able to see exactly to what extent soldiers suffered during World War 1 as well as the effect that war had on them. In this essay I will explain the effect that war has on young soldiers by referring to the loss of innocence of young soldiers, the disillusionment of the soldiers and the debasement of soldiers to animalistic men. Many soldiers entered World War 1 as innocent young boys, but as they experienced the full effect of the war they consequently lost their innocence.

"We want to live at any price; so we cannot burden ourselves with feelings which, though they might be ornamented enough in peacetime, would be out of place here" (Remarque, Erich. All Quiet on the Western Front). This quote symbolizes how much war changes your humane mentality. The soldiers that died were thrown in shell holes. Close friends became victims in war, and that no longer bothered the

War is hell. You can’t photograph a flying bullet; but you can’t capture genuine fear. (Horst Fass) Tim O’brien is the author of the short story “Ambush”, written in 1990. Tim is the narrator of the story who recounts an incident of war. When Tim’s nine year old daughter asks him why he keeps writing stories about war, and if he has ever killed a man before.

In the Article, You Don’t Ever Get Over It, published by Simon Hattenstone tells an insight of a man who shares his symptoms after war when, “At times he would be afraid to sleep because of the nightmares [he] was having. An example of tensing up when [he] saw hazard warning lights on a vehicle. [He] explained that in Iraq, vehicles loaded with explosive devices only had their hazard warning lights on,” (Simon Hattenstone). A british soldier named Robert Kilgour shares his after-war experience that let his health symptoms change his mental state of mind. With this in mind manifests Tim O'brien's view of how war can affect a soldier's emotional state of mind.

John Knowles uses the historical event of troops on campus as an instigator of Gene’s maturation. During WWII, troops would often occupy open areas and facilities, including high schools, for manufacturing and training. Due to the large amount of drafting and sign-ups during the war, the overflow occupation in both public and private areas was pronounced. Even though Gene lived at an east coast boarding school, his protective bubble of innocence and isolation eventually popped. The occupation of these soldiers brought an end to Gene’s purity; thus beginning his minds preoccupation with fear and anxiety that often accompanies the acknowledgement of the realities of war.

World War II was a period of time when life was depressing and difficult. Throughout this depression, people would come together and form a uniformity to surpass the negative emotions the war has caused. John Knowles, the author of A Separate Peace has revealed feelings of the war by showing different situations of the war through the use of diction, selection of details, and imagery. The war has caused many negative feelings to the citizens in the United States.

The war novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque depicts one protagonist, Paul, as he undergoes a psychological transformation. Paul plays a role as a soldier fighting in World War I. His experiences during the war are not episodes the average person would simply experience. Alternatively, his experiences allow him to develop into a more sophisticated individual. Remarque illustrates these metamorphic experiences to expose his theme of the loss of not only people’s lives but also innocence and tranquility that occurs in war.