Johnny Got His Gun Perception of War Johnny Got His Gun Essays

Johnny Got His Gun Perception of War Johnny Got His Gun The book Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo totally changed my perception of war. Before I read this book I was in favor of war whenever it was necessary. But now I realize that war should be the very last resort used because of all of the repercussions that occur. This book takes place during World War I, and at that time people thought war was a duty, noble, and glamorous. But in reality it was nothing like that at all. Unfortunately war has and always will be a part of our culture because of the disagreements between nations. As a society we have not gotten to the point where we can solve disputes without bloodshed. When we finally do the world will be a much better place to live in because it will be more peaceful. The young men who fought in wars were told their entire lives that it was their duty to fight for their country. When they were growing up their families and communities instilled it in them that a real man fights for his country. When a young man came back from war he was finally treated like a man. They believed that killing others and putting your life on the line for your country made you a man. This is exactly what happened to Joe, he was told that it was what he was born to do. So he believed everyone and fought in a war that he never believed in. Most of the young men who were sent to war were only in their late teens to early twenties. Also a young man who didnt fight in the war was looked down upon because everyone thought he was afraid. In the society during World War I almost the entire country supported the war because they had grown up being taught that war was not a bad thing, but instead a necessity. Our society is no longer like that today, because now war is looked upon as meaningless. Now our society is more open and people are able to speak their mind without repercussions. Now there are also many anti-war groups and coalitions that are opposed to all war in general. Unfortunately back when the book took place there were few groups that lobbied to stop the war. To fight for your country was perceived by many at the time to be a noble thing but there was nothing noble about what happened to Joe Bonham. When he was sent off to fight in World War I, he was full of dreams of victory and pride, but when he fought in the war he was severely wounded and all of that changed. Joe then awoke in a hospital without his arms, legs, or a face. What happened was the worst possible outcome that could have occurred to Joe because he became a vegetable. Once he lost his limbs he no longer had any dignity because he could no longer interact with other humans. It was the authors idea of the worst case scenario that could have occurred to a soldier who was injured. The description of his injuries gave the reader a picture of what it would be like to have lived with no legs, arms, or a face. It was a gruesome thought that helped personalize the story by making the reader feel bad for the main character. At this time many perceived fighting in a war to be noble but for most of the soldiers it was anything but noble. Many times television shows, movies, and books had glamorized war, but that was not the truth. This book showed the harsh reality of war that most people didnt know existed at the time. War is something that no man should ever hope for, but young men were told that it was glorious to fight for your country. The reality was that they put their lives on the line every day to fight for their country. It may have been heroic but definitely not glamorous to kill another human. In some cases, soldiers who were in wars had severe mental problems when they would return home from war because of the brutality they saw. When Joe finally became conscience of his surroundings he realized what had happened to him. Due to his injuries Joe was isolated from the rest of the world. This made it so that he didnt even know if he was awake or sleeping. He kept having flashbacks to the war and to his life previous to the war. Then when he realized that his life was over he wanted to end it but he had no power to. He told others through morse code but they denied him death. The life that Joe Bonham led after his injuries was in no way glamorous but instead the worst possible way to live

When I originally started reading this book I thought that war was a necessary part of our society to keep other countries in order, but now I realize that war serves no purpose whatsoever. It is just a waste of resources and life that could be better used. I still believe that we should have an army to protect us but I now feel that we should use more restraint when sending in military force. In most cases it is not necessary to shed blood in other countries. I believe that our army should only be used in extreme cases when there is no other solution. In most cases it would be possible to resolve a problem without fighting but it is easier to just fight over it. Which unfortunately happens far too often in our society. Plus now with all of the nuclear weapons that have been created another huge war could end the world. Obviously this is not a good solution, which is why we must find other ways to solve our disputes. This book changed my attitude towards war and the men who fight in them.