Johnny Got His Gun Themes

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Recommended: The effects of WW 2 propaganda

Masters of the war are the ones who control the war and get the good out of it without putting anything into it. Writers and artists have explored the subject of the masters of war in literature and in films for many decades. One of these novels, Johnny got His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo is a World War l novel that involves the story of young soldier that goes through much emotional and physical loss and pain. Similarly, the 1965 Civil War movie, Shenandoah includes the story of a family, the Andersons in which are trapped in the middle of the war and are being pressured to be a part of it. Like Joe, they suffer loss and pain. Although the guards and masters of war are similar in their intent on waging the war and using propaganda to glorify it,
Both pieces of literature have characters that trick, pressure and glorify others into war. In Shenandoah the guard watches over the camp that consists of all young men soldiers. The way that he gets these men is mainly by forcing them. Another example is when the guards went to Charlie's farm in order to recruit all his sons. They sensationalize the war but Charlie and his family know the truth and refuse to go. In Johnny Got His Gun the masters of war use propaganda to glorify the war and occasionally “force” men to fight. They convinced the young men it is exciting and have an obligation to serve their country. The masters of war make it sound amazing. This is nothing close to the truth. While both pieces have characters that push war into others and convince them to fight, only one piece really has a bigger impact. In Shenandoah the only specific way of convincing others to join the war is through verbal contact of convincing. The guards showed up at the farm of Charlie and tried to get his sons. In Johnny Got His Gun, there is a bigger impact because Joe has large mental and physical injuries. At the end of the story Joe explains to reader that he is very disappointed in himself with the fact that he fell for war being glorifying. 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

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