The Realities of War
In our everyday existence, we are faced with the challenges of the
realities of life. Often times we hide our true character in order for
those to believe that all is fine in our world. There are no
exceptions; all people cover up their actual feelings for different
reasons. One reason may be to shelter others from the cruel certainty,
or another to portray a perfect life, but in reality, it is
non-existence. One author who demonstrates this common behavior is Ron
Kovic. In his short story , "Born on the Forth of July", Kovic
portrays the world-wide challenges that all people must face, and
through his own experiences after the war, depicts the harsh reality
that all people living in the real world veil their true state in life
in order to protect those we care for.
Ron Kovic enlisted in the Marines right out of high school, and was
one of the unfortunate teens to serve in the Vietnam War. During the
war he was seriously injured and returned to the United States. Even
though his servitude of war has ended, Kovic's war with reality would
soon take place. Through out the story, Kovic describes his daily life
of being paralyzed from the war. He illustrates the pain and agony he
goes through living at the hospital he shares amongst fifty other
wounded soldiers. Kovic illustrates the horrific, yet factual
experience of war:
All these broken men are very depressing, all these bodies so
emaciated and twisted in theses bed sheets. This is a nightmare. This
isn't like the poster down by the post office where the guy stood with
the shiny shoes; this is a concentration camp. It is like the pictures
of all the Jew...
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...ch of me does not feel or move
anymore" (1095). Like Kovic we all learn to conceal our true
situation.
In our society, we all have a propensity to change faces when
confronted with different situations, therefore learning to adapt to
our diverse environment. For many various reasons we cover up the
negative aspects in our lives to satisfy others. The reality in life
may be too much for others to consume, just as Kovic's reality of war
was overwhelming. As Kovic said at the end of his story, "No one wants
too many people to know how much of him has really died in the war"
(1095).
Works Cited
Kovic, Ron. "Born On the Fourth Of July." Literature and Society: An
Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction. Ed. Pamela J.
Annas and Robert C. Rosen. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Prentice- Hall, 2000.
1085-1095.
Kerry paints himself as a man who experienced the war, therefore he can reveal information
“What had gone dead was the curious part that should have been helping us decide about the morality and intelligence of invasion, that should have known that the war being discussed was a real war, that might actually happen, to real, currently living people.” There are parts of our minds that we use to create in depth and original thought and media is quickly becoming very good at paying more attention to latent information that has little to no actual
As time passes, people move on, memories fade, anger and fear often subside. This could be one reason why the information reported on any war becomes sanitized over time. It’s not that the information reported is inaccurate, but the connection to the wartime era being reported diminishes as time elapses and the number of survivors declines. Even if we cannot personally feel their emotions, survivors can still bestow important facts about their personal involvement that historical accounts do not always provide. But unfortunately, not many survivors are still alive from the World Wars.
The story of Jason Poole as presented by Grady is a clear picture of the ravage of the potentials of soldiers in the face of war, and the wrong priorities of the American government in spending billions of dollars for the war that have no clear advantage for them or the American people, that is worth dying for. The sending of potential young men and women in Iraq to sustain its war lacked the basic objective that warrant their sacrifices, as well as the billions of dollars spend in pursuing such unclear purpose that is wrongly labeled “war on terror.” As per records, American fatalities in Iraq as of January 20 stood at two thousand two hundred twenty five (2, 225), while casualties numbered at 16, 472 (The New York Times, par. 8). Grady cited that medical treatments for brain injuries in Iraq alone would cost fourteen billion dollars.
Tim O’Brien states in his novel The Things They Carried, “The truths are contradictory. It can be argued, for instance, that war is grotesque. But in truth war is also beauty. For all its horror, you can’t help but gape at the awful majesty of combat” (77). This profound statement captures not only his perspective of war from his experience in Vietnam but a collective truth about war across the ages. It is not called the art of combat without reason: this truth transcends time and can be found in the art produced and poetry written during the years of World War I. George Trakl creates beautiful images of the war in his poem “Grodek” but juxtaposes them with the harsh realities of war. Paul Nash, a World War I artist, invokes similar images in his paintings We are Making a New World and The Ypres Salient at Night. Guilaume Apollinaire’s writes about the beautiful atrocity that is war in his poem “Gala.”
As noted before, this was Truman's original plan, but due to the number that he received, he backed away from it. Rufus explains that there would have only been 31,000 American casualties, not deaths. The rhetoric is being missed, according to him. The number that Truman has been given are deaths and not casualties. Casualties include those who died and those who were wounded.
stress and fear by the men at the front in the First World War. In
Since the beginning of humans, some sort of conflict ahs arisen between them. Every culture has had a different take on war. There is however a general consensus that war is necessary. Those who question war are looked upon as deviants. It was hard and is still difficult to appose war now. Rise Against’s song Hero of War and Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est can be compared through the problems with war, the unnecessary glorification of war, and breaking from what society thinks of war. Through both works of art there is a general consensus on the terror of war.
Warfare is a prominent theme in Beowulf . The reasons and conduct for and during warfare are mentioned and displayed throughout the poem. The reason for warfare is usually for retribution. As an act of revenge, battles are fought. The conduct is also very standard and prevalent. All warfare fought by honorable men had to be fought fair. If the opposing side bore no weapons, then the other side also used no weapons. The author of this poem depicts himself/herself to be an advocate of warfare. By idolizing Beowulf because of his heroic deeds during warfare, the poet makes armed conflict courageous and noble.
“The real war will never get in the books” Walt Whitman, who had volunteered as a nurse in army hospitals, famously claimed in Specimen Days (1892) (Whitman). The American Civil War represents a decisive and far-reaching turning point in the development of the United States as a nation. But how much of the “real war” can actually be conveyed via literary narrative? The gruesome experiences of the soldiers and the aftermath of battle? What about the establishment of a national identity and the transformation or disintegration of national ideals and ideology? Writers such as Ambrose Bierce, Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, Francis Lieber, or Henry W. Bellows did attempt to provide representations of war experiences and provide interpretations of the conflict. Mid 19th-century American nationalism tended to employ literature as a means of sustaining national ideals, evoke patriotic feeling and provide meaning in the face of unprecedented human tragedies. A comparison between two essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne that appeared in the Atlantic Monthly in 1862 can provide an assessment of the role of literature during the war. These texts have been chosen not as a comprehensive representation of political, social or perhaps aesthetic attitudes regarding the Civil War and its meanings, but rather as an indication of the various, often contradictory, responses the war provoked. A close reading of the essays will enhance our understanding not only of public interpretations of the Northern war aims, but also the conflicting views on national promise and idealized hopes for the future along with the notion of national crisis – or a possible crisis in art and representation.
War is one thing that we all know is a necessary evil. The United States has been involved in many wars since being founded in the late 1700’s. There are many reasons that the United States has been involved in, or is currently involved in wars. Although war is not always a popular thing to become a part of, the full effects of the war are not always known and may never be known as long as the United States is a country. Stephen Crane tells us that there are many effects of war in his poem “War is Kind”. From that it can be derived that physical, mental, family, etc are all effects of war needing to be monitored. All of these effects are causing hardships among the people that are coming home from these battles either directly or indirectly. The full effects of any war are never known and are something that is going to need further investigation to allow professionals such as mental and physical health doctors to provide soldiers with the help they so greatly deserve.
It is estimated that there were more than 13 million combatant fatalities.
It can be hard to fully comprehend the effects the Vietnam War had on not just the veterans, but the nation as a whole. The violent battles and acts of war became all too common during the long years of the conflict. The war warped the soldiers and civilians characters and desensitized their mentalities to the cruelty seen on the battlefield. Bao Ninh and Tim O’Brien, both veterans of the war, narrate their experiences of the war and use the loss of love as a metaphor for the detrimental effects of the years of fighting.
The term "laws of war" refers to the rules governing the actual conduct of armed
known. The only thing that could compare to his love for his family, was his love for his country.