A Few Good Men Character Analysis

Motivation is the deciding force that guides a person on any journey. Every action or decision you make is consciously or subconsciously influenced by prior thoughts and events. These thoughts and events can create several different types of motivations in different people. In A Few Good Men, the main character has many turning points because of the challenges presented to him throughout the film. In Rob Reiner’s A Few Good Men, the director uses the mental motivation of Daniel Kaffee in order to examine how an individual’s course of action can be directed.

Initially, we see Lt. Daniel Kaffee as a carefree JAG lawyer who primarily resorts to plea bargains. This is evident in the first scene featuring Daniel as he simultaneously plays baseball

Jessup, Lt. Kendrick takes Daniel, Joe, and Sam on a tour around the base and through Santiago’s room. Daniel starts to suspect that there is more to the case than what he initially thought when, in response to being asked whether he thought Santiago was murdered or not, Kendrick says, “Private Santiago is dead and that 's a tragedy. But he 's dead because he had no code. He 's dead because he had no honor.” Later, as they all sit at dinner with Colonel Jessup and other military officials, Danny thinks that he can sneakily smooth talk Jessup into giving up information. Daniel’s principal strategy of winning arguments proves more difficult to utilize against a man like Colonel Jessup who keeps great pride in his powerful position and the danger that comes with it. The Colonel reveals this attitude when he says, “You want to investigate me, roll the dice and take your chances. I eat breakfast 80 yards away from 4000 Cubans who are trained to kill me. So don 't for one second think you 're gonna come down here, flash a badge, and make me nervous.” This would most likely deter any lawyer from trying to investigate Col. Jessup and yet, out of pure curiosity and spite, Daniel asks Jessup for Santiago’s transfer order. Daniel did not ask this question to receive an answer, but to see how Jessup would react. His reaction involved demanding Daniel to “extend him some courtesy” and to “ask him nicely”. Daniel obliged but also made the subconscious