In Joseph Plumb Martin’s account of his experiences in the Revolutionary War he offers unique insight into the perspective of a regular soldier, which differs from the views of generals and leaders such as popular characters like George Washington. Martin’s narrative is an asset to historical scholarship as a primary source that gives an in-depth look at how life in the army was for many young men during the War for Independence. He described the tremendous suffering he experienced like starvation and privation. He did not shy away from describing his criticism of the government who he believes did not adequately care for the soldiers during and after the war. While he may be biased because of his personal involvement as a soldier, he seems to relate accounts that are plausible without embellishment or self-aggrandizement. Overall, “A Narrative of A Revolutionary Soldier” is a rich source of information providing an overview of military experience during the war.
Joseph Plumb Martin divided his narrative into eight different campaigns that outlined his time in the service, which lasted from 1776 to 1883. During his time in the army he suffered small pox and yellow fever, was wounded, endured fighting several times, and travelled many miles along the East. Martin related in express, yet matter of fact terms the horrors and hardships of war. He described hunger as a constant occurrence with seemingly never enough food to properly provide for the army. In one instance, during the campaign of 1780, Martin describes a time during a severe snowstorm that the army reached the “keystone of the arch of starvation.” Martin goes on to say, “We were absolutely and literally starved” and further more he says “I solemnly declare that I did not...
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...in the War for Independence. He gave little reason to not believe the experiences he described, and was even careful to warn the reader that his memory may not be serving him as well in recollecting all the events. Even in his criticism of the government, he does not portray an image that would suggest he did not believe in the cause of independence, neither did he take an anti-Unites States government position. He is simply attempting to explain what happened during his time as a participant in the war, and he convincingly does so in his narrative. As he reflects upon his experiences he acknowledges the soldiers’ great sacrifice, the sacrifice of their youth, their bodies, and even their futures. While he was only a private soldier, and most of his life an ordinary citizen, Joseph Martin represents the American hero who gave his life for the cause of Independence.
To make matters worse they had to deal with smallpox more dangerously than that is Lice because they rarely bathed or washed themselves or had laundered clothing. Another horrible things that Martin and his soldiers had to deal with was typhus a potential killer disease characterized by usually high fevers and red sports on the skin. Typhus took the lives of most of the Valley Forge Martin was under the brigade command of General James M. Varnum but his actual commander was Colonial John Durkee of the 4th Connecticut regiment, since Varnum was elsewhere. Washington’s continentals fairly well- supplied with food, but in the months preceding a major reason for so much privation at Valley Forge. Martin’s statement about Washington’s main army was misleading about them residing in the White Plains as they crossed the Hudson River and established winter quarters in Middlebrooks, New
In An American Soldier in World War I, David Snead examines account of George Browne, a civil engineer who fought as part of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World War I. Snead shares Browne’s account of the war through the letters he wrote to his fiancé Martha Ingersoll Johnson. Through Browne’s letters and research conducted of the AEF, Snead gives a concise, informative, and harrowing narrative of life as a soldier serving in the camps and front lines of the Great War. Snead attempts to give the reader an understanding of Browne’s service by focusing on his division, the 42nd Division, their training and preparation, combat on the front lines, and the effects of war on George and Martha’s relationship. As Snead describes, “Brownie’s letters offer a view of the experiences of an American soldier. He described the difficulties of training, transit to and from France, the dangers and excitement of combat, and the war’s impact on relationships.” (Browne 2006, 2) Furthermore, he describes that despite the war’s effect on their relationship, “their
As he immerses his audience into combat with the soldiers, Shaara demonstrates the more emotional aspects of war by highlighting the personal lives of the men fighting. For example, when Shaara reveals the pasts of James Longstreet and Lewis Armistead’s, I started to picture them as the men that they were and not as soldiers out for blood. After suffering a devastating loss of three of his children to fever, Longstreet is tossed into battle. In Armistead’s case, he not only suffered the loss of his wife, but also of a friend fighting on the Union side, General Winfield Scott Hancock. Shaara saves his readers a front row seat to the inner turmoil of General Chamberlain regarding his hindering duty as a soldier clashes with his duty to family as he strived to serve the Union as well as protec...
One limitation Tomedi’s book has is that it is very subjective, allowing the reader to only see a portion of the war through a single person’s view. For example Fred Lawson, an interviewee, stated “We has no idea what was happening over on the other side of the mountain” (Tomedi, 87). Tomedi does not present his readers with a story of “what was happening over the mountain.” The book also neglects various perspectives, such as officers and women in the war. The compilation of stories strictly focuses on combat veterans, many of whom did not know what was going on; they were simply “a bunch of kids…trying to do [their] job” (Tomedi, 8).
A prominent theme in A Long Way Gone is about the loss of innocence from the involvement in the war. A Long Way Gone is the memoir of a young boy, Ishmael Beah, wanders in Sierra Leone who struggles for survival. Hoping to survive, he ended up raiding villages from the rebels and killing everyone. One theme in A long Way Gone is that war give innocent people the lust for revenge, destroys childhood and war became part of their daily life.
The novel, A Separate Peace, by John Knowles describes the life highschool life of Gene Forrester through the flashbacks he experienced 15 years after his graduation. Throughout the novel Knowles takes us on a journey that revolves around Gene and his friend Finny as they go through their years in a private high school. While reading the novel one can see that Gene takes his hero journey during his highschool time as he makes the choices that will dictate not only his hero journey but his entire life.
O’Brien, Tim. “How To Tell a True War Story.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2003. p. 420-429.
He wishes to share the horrible tragedies of war, but instead he is silenced by the masters of war in order for them to continue tricking men into joining the war. Although it is clear that both texts have masters of war that glorify the war greatly, it seems that Joe’s experience with the masters of war is more significant and has more impact on the character himself. Both the masters of war from the pieces of literature hope to continue what they are doing to others, even if they know it is wrong.
The day to day life for the regular soldier was not glorious. Many times the regiments were low on supplies such as food and clothing. They lived in the elements. Medical conditions were grotesque because of the lack of advanced equipment and anesthesia. “Discipline was enforced with brutality” as if all the other conditions were not bad enough.
...Revolution." Black Soldiers in the Revolutionary War. U.S. Army, 27 Feb. 2013. Web 6 May 2015..
He uses an exasperated tone to confess his exhaustion and explains the lists of hardships upon his people while escaping the U.S Army. The message he tries to imply is that he will no longer risk thousands of lives to solely fight in war and continue to make their Native American population extinct. Similar to Patrick Henry, Joseph also uses rhetorical strategies to communicate his message. He uses simple and short sentences to place a straightforward and honest tone which allows strong emotion to filter through. The tone is immediately established in the first few sentences when he states, “Our chiefs our killed. Looking glass is dead. Toohulhosote is dead.” The uncomplicated sentences allow the audience to focus on the emotion of human suffering behind the words instead of confusing them in a maze of advanced language. Moreover, he also uses imagery to display the cold and tragic images of “little children...freezing to death.” Chief Joseph's search for the missing children to see “how many [he] can find” is an intense appeal to pathos as well. The minor, yet genuine details express his heartache and he ceased to fight so he can assist survivors after a traumatic
Many individuals look at soldiers for hope and therefore, add load to them. Those that cannot rationally overcome these difficulties may create Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Tragically, some resort to suicide to get away from their insecurities. Troops, notwithstanding, are not by any means the only ones influenced by wars; relatives likewise encounter mental hardships when their friends and family are sent to war. Timothy Findley precisely depicts the critical impact wars have on people in his novel by showing how after-war characters are not what they were at the beginning.
Many people question if Guy Sajer, author of The Forgotten Soldier, is an actual person or only a fictitious character. In fact, Guy Sajer in not a nom de plume. He was born as Guy Monminoux in Paris on 13 January 1927. At the ripe young age of 16, while living in Alsace, he joined the German army. Hoping to conceal his French descent, Guy enlisted under his mother's maiden name-Sajer. After the war Guy returned to France where he became a well known cartoonist, publishing comic books on World War II under the pen name Dimitri.
Create a list of O'Brien's criteria of how to tell a true war story and give an example of each criteria in outline form.
Ordinary Courage is a phenomenal narrative of a descriptive soldier in the revolutionary war. Joseph Plum Martin was born in 1760 to a minister and his wife but was soon given to his mother’s father to be raised properly on his farm. Martin says himself that he was spoiled but well taken care of by his grandparents and never wanted for anything. As Joseph Plum Martin grew in became more and more apparent the discontent the colonies had with their mother country, England. Martin recalls being too young to remember much about the Stamp Act but knew that it caused an obvious stir among his countrymen. When the Boston Tea Party occurred Martin was somewhere between 13 and 14 years of age. It was at this time he began to understand what was beginning