“Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die” - Herbert Hoover. In the end, Glory and signing up to protect the liberty and freedom of a country is not on the minds of the youth who are wounded, screaming for their mothers, and bleeding to death. The novel Johnny Got His Gun, written by Dalton Trumbo, is centered around the life of Joe Bonham,19, after he was wounded in France after being drafted into the military during the first World War. The movie, Shenandoah, directed by Andrew V McLaglen, is an American Civil War film focused on the life of Charlie Anderson and his family. Although he does not believe in the war for his moral beliefs, he is forced to take action when his youngest son, Boy, is captured by the Union …show more content…
Before being drafted - upon the United States’ entrance into World War 1 - Joe was an average young adult. He had experiences with many jobs and relationships as well as being influenced by the war propaganda that made fighting in wars for the feel of glory and protecting the liberty and freedom of America every citizen’s duty. In contrast to Johnny Got His Gun, the main character in Shenandoah, Charlie, does not believe in the glorification of war the way Joe does. In the beginning of the movie, Charlie is focused on more domestic matters like going to church, taking care of his family, and keeping the family farm in shape so they can make a living. Charlie is experienced to know that wasting your life on the belief of dying in battle for glory is fake and only a way for the government to get the young and poor to fight in their wars, but eventually Charlie and his family must go to war in order to save a member that has been captured. In the end, both parties -Joe and Charlie’s family- suffer similar loss to some extent because of Joe’s original belief about glorifying war and being drafted into the military, and Charlie’s decision to not glorify war but instead to wait until the war had affected him and his
What if they don’t want to fight, kill someone or be killed. These young men go through internal struggles like this when they are drafted to go to war, what if they die fighting for something they don’t support or get wounded in ways words can’t describe. In Tim O’Brien’s novel The Things They Carried, the main protagonist in the story Tim O’Brien faces these internal struggles when he received his draft card. Personally, if I was in Tim’s position I would also struggle with the decision, to fight in a war which I don’t agree with. Tim's inner conflict occurred around if he didn’t go to war and escaped to Canada what would people think of him, he was afraid of being embarrassed in his small hometown called Worthington.
Despite the grim realities of war, like many of his fellow WWII veterans, Gordon chose to adopt a more optimistic perspective. In stark contrast, the Vietnam War divided the nation, sparking widespread protests and civil unrest. The soldiers in Wiest's account faced a less welcome homecoming, often driving them to conceal their past military service. Moreover, many veterans from Charlie Company struggled with life after the war compared to their counterparts from Easy Platoon. Willie McTear, a Vietnam veteran, exemplified this struggle.
In Tim O’brien’s war story, The Things They Carried, the narrator describes the life of American soldiers and provides evidence of how the war has impacted their lives. In the 1960’s, young American men were sent to fight in the war thousands of miles away from their homes. At this time, most men had no prior experience of fighting in a war. Naturally, the men had no idea what kind of brutality the war held also how much of a vital role the war would play in their futures. O’brien’s own experience with the war displayed that the fear of getting shamed before ones own peers played a main and also motivating factor for joining the draft.
When in the hospital, Joe realizes that he lost his hearing, arms, legs, eyes, nose, and mouth. A different representation of war is the 1965 American Civil War Film Shenandoah. The star family of Shenandoah, the Anderson family,
Luis Valdez in the play “The Buck Private”, the death of young men and their innocence in the Vietnam War. Valdez supports his claims by illustrating Johnny the protagonist, he joined the army because he wanted the respect and honor it gives. Valdez wants to inform young people the dangers and horrors of the Vietnam war in order to save young people's lives. Valdez writes in an informal tone for young people so they can make the right choice for their lives other than joining the army. Johnny’s a tragic hero because he strives to be a good person and to help others in need; Johnny enlisted in the Vietnam war to “better” his life.
In the beginning of the war many people thought that war was fun. They thought it would end quickly and everything would be fine. Even Charley thought that the war would be fun and exciting. No one really knew what war was like. The people threw flowers and candy at the soldiers as they passed.
As the author is told he is being drafted to war, he becomes very upset. He clearly does not want to be part of it. His initial says, “I was too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate, too everything. It couldn’t happen.
Growing up Charley is a daddy’s boy. His father said he had to choose him or his mother and could not be a mamas and daddy’s boy. While increasing by age Charley would play ball and wait around for his father at the liquor store. Then a day came were he just up and left Charley and mama. “War means tears to thousands of mothers” (Starr 8).
The Enlightening “They died with only one thought in their minds and that was I want to live I want to live I want to live.” In the 1939 book “Johnny Got His Gun” by Dalton Trumbo, the main character Joe Bonham was drafted into World War 1. During the war Joe’s trench, along with almost everything inside, was terminated. Joe suffered the tragic loss of both legs, arms and all five of his senses from the shell. Joe understands first hand that in the moment of death the single thought racing through his broken and destroyed body is “I want to live”.
Joe’s life had changed right before his eyes, just like a lot of Americans lives and the Jews in Germany during the early 1930s. Millions of people were displaced during the tumultuous times of the
Joe and Charlie both lose people that they care deeply about because of the consequences that came along with getting involved in wars. Joe suffers many serious injuries as a result of fighting in World War One, which leave him incapable of communicating with the outside world. He is therefore isolated within his own mind, and even though he is not dead he still loses the people he loves dearly because he no longer can have interactions with them. One person who he loses is his mother. He has fond memories of his mother from his childhood and misses the comfort that she has provided him his entire life.
Johnny Got His Gun Dalton Trumbo’s novel, “Johnny Got His Gun” tells all about a father and son relationship that many people may envy for. Trumbo characterizes their relationship with a respectful tone, yet Trumbo also makes the love and trust the father and son share very apparent throughout the novel. Trumbo is able utilize literary devices such as third person point of view and a lack of formal punctuation, using syntax to help the reader have a better perspective on the relationship the father and son partake in.
The fact that the story happens based on a traditional father and son camping trip shows their strong bond. The story does not point out the conversation between Joe and his father; for a little while his father didn’t say a thing. Then he said why sure go along Joe (Trumbo).The unknown dialogue gives a picture of the situation the father is facing while Joe is mentioning Bill Harper. This also shows how Joe is growing up and viewing this place differently and wanting to experience differently. The place that represents Joe’s childhood will covert him into a young man as he changes the tradition.
In the movie, “Johnny Got His Gun,” Johnny's flashbacks are from a combination of ether and the battle Johnny made it through. His head is very messed up and injuries are very bad. Because of these nightmares, they bring him flashbacks. It is on account that his injuries are so bad that remembering home and his girl are his ways of coping. His first flashback is of having conversations with his girl.
"In 1990, handguns were used to kill approximately 48 people in Japan, 8 in Great Britain, 34 in Switzerland, 52 in Canada, 58 in Israel, 42 in West Germany and 10,728 in the United States”. For many years, America has been regarded as one of the world’s most perilous and ferocious countries in the world. The death rate caused by active gun shooters in the US is extraordinary: “since 1968, more Americans have died from gunfire than died in … all the wars of this country 's history”. Hence why public ownership of guns should be abolished in the USA. Can you imagine to what extent the death rate in America has increased by now?