Analysis Of A Breif Encounter With The Enemy

In every American war combined, about 1.2 million soldiers have died fighting in battle. Many look past the effects and consequences that going to war can lead to and every soldier is assumed to be a hero. Others believe that killing anybody, whether they are innocent or on a battlefield, is in no way honorable. Writers who protest war use imagery, irony, and structure to explain the negative effects of battle.

To be engaged in war is to be engaged in an armed conflict. Death is an all too ordinary product of war. It is an unsolicited reward for many soldiers that are fighting for their country’s own fictitious freedom. For some of these men, the battlefield is a glimpse into hell, and for others, it is a means to heaven. Many people worry about what happens during war and what will become of their loved ones while they’re fighting, but few realize what happens to those soldiers once they come home. The short stories "Soldier's Home” by Ernest Hemingway and "Speaking of Courage” by Tim O'Brien explore the thematic after effects of war and how it impacts a young person's life. Young people who

Throughout the book, O’Brien repeatedly states his struggles in telling “a true war story.” One of the obstacle he faces in telling “a true war story” is the readers’ misconception that “truth” must be an event and not an emotion. To begin, O’Brien claims “A true war story is never moral… If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted… then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie… you can tell a true war story by its absolute and uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil” (68-69) and “All of us… like to believe that in a moral emergency we will behave like the heroes of our youth” (38). In these two statements, O’Brien has shown us that people want not a

Copious bullets, like that of torrential downpour, reign over the battlefield; a setting in which man created through dispute, engulfs each and every individual caught within it. Some are immediately spun into a downward spiral, while with others, it hits them in the midst -- even if they have built an immunity to war’s ways. Two fictional characters, both sharing a similar atmosphere, experience the true affects to war in their own ways. Although war never changes, the individuals do, no matter the situation. This is exemplified through the fictional tales, told by Liam O’Flaherty’s “The Sniper,” as well as Tim O’Brien’s “Where Have You Gone Charming Billy,” and as the main characters are to each their own story, they bear contradistinction to one another in the aspect of war, personality, and the emotional reactions to war.

The thought of going to war excites many young men that have not experienced or have been a part of one. Individuals want to find a way out of the routine, mundane lifestyle that plagues many suburban households. People that just want some excitement enlist in a military branch that will not benefit them or anyone for that matter. In Philip Caputo’s book titled A Rumor of War, the true side of how war demolishes the human spirit is shown. His nonfiction novel captures the nasty side to war. Philip informs us how the mentality of a young man can change with the constant thought of death and fear as a daily ritual. Men do not think about death occurring to them at a young age. This changes when death is surrounding them on a daily basis during wartime. Caputo intended to inform the young public about the horrible nature of war. Mistakes are doomed to repeat themselves if people are not well informed and Caputo is trying to avoid future mistakes. Death surrounded him and many of his comrades during the Vietnam War. When the life of anyone is on the line, one tends to do drastic and sometimes unthinkable things to cope with the fear of death.

A statement such as ‘War is unavoidable’, for some leave a bad taste in their mouth, as if the person stating such a claim was the devil himself, for others it is a way of life. “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa a poem that takes place where most refuse to tread; a journey which displays the interpretation of each viewer and the memories and images the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial evokes. They erect various Memorials and Monuments which help individuals associate memories and the meanings; but only someone who went through it or experience a personal lost, will find release from conflict, memories left untouched for years, “I said I wouldn’t / dammit: No tears.” (3, 4)

A true war story, if truly told, makes the stomach believe." (560) In this writing, Tim O’Brien explores what it means to have a “true war story.” He uses a contemporary style of writing, such as explaining ideas through stories, using frequent repetition, and having an informal tone, which helps the reader achieve a thorough understanding of a “True war story.” O’Brien is specific in saying that “was is hell,” (561) which simply has no impact because it is so general and clichéd. A true war story is not about valor, but is simply about the outrage a soldier faces during a

Through the soldiers’ experiences, the narrator shows only the dark side of human nature. Discuss.

Since the beginning of mankind, war and the horrors that come with it have had devastating effects on both the minds and the bodies of human beings. Mentally, war drains soldiers of their ability to think properly. During a battle, soldiers witness bloody battles which frequently result in demise. Day after day of witnessing deceased fall to the ground, a soldier can do nothing but think about blood, gore, and his or her fallen comrades. Additionally, a war can be physically taxing on whomever takes part in it. Dodging or being hit by fists, swords, or bullets will inevitably cause pain and may disable somebody for the rest of their life. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque demonstrates through characterization, imagery,

In the aftermath of a comparatively minor misfortune, all parties concerned seem to be eager to direct the blame to someone or something else. It seems so easy to pin down one specific mistake that caused everything else to go wrong in an everyday situation. However, war is a vastly different story. War is ambiguous, an enormous and intangible event, and it cannot simply be blamed for the resulting deaths for which it is indirectly responsible. Tim O’Brien’s story, “In the Field,” illustrates whom the soldiers turn to with the massive burden of responsibility for a tragedy. The horrible circumstances of war transform all involved and tinge them with an absurd feeling of

Throughout human history, we have watched many men and women storm into combat to sweat, bleed, and die for a cause that they believe in. War is no secret to mankind, we have seen it hundreds of times, and we are aware of the mental and physical damage it has the capability of causing. We’ve learned of the gruesome damage caused by the first world war, and the numerous amount of lives it claimed. We’ve read the vivid stories authors wrote, using literature as a means to communicate the horrors experienced in war. Even in present day, we’ve seen, or known veterans who have returned from war with mental damage due to the terrible things they witnessed or partook in. Whether or not it is the smartest or most responsible idea, the human race uses

As long as there has been war, those involved have managed to get their story out. This can be a method of coping with choices made or a way to deal with atrocities that have been witnessed. It can also be a means of telling the story of war for those that may have a keen interest in it. Regardless of the reason, a few themes have been a reoccurrence throughout. In ‘A Long Way Gone,’ ‘Slaughterhouse-Five,’ and ‘Novel without a Name,’ three narrators take the readers through their memories of war and destruction ending in survival and revelation. The common revelation of these stories is one of regret. Each of these books begins with the main character as an innocent, patriotic soldier or civilian and ends in either the loss of innocence and regret of choices only to be compensated with as a dire warning to those that may read it. These books are in fact antiwar stories meant not to detest patriotism or pride for one’s country or way of life, but to detest the conditions that lead to one being so simpleminded to kill another for it. The firebombing of Dresden, the mass execution of innocent civilians in Sierra Leone and a generation of people lost to the gruesome and outlandish way of life of communism and Marxism should be enough to convince anyone. These stories serve as another perspective for the not-so-easily convinced.

“A Brief Encounter with the Enemy” by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, is a story about a twenty seven year old man named Luke who enlisted into the army, for the wrong reasons. Luke finds the time there to be incredibly boring. He was afraid he would leave this place learning nothing and being the same cubicle worker he is before he enlisted. Most of his time is spent training and building a bridge across the valley, that would soon touch the hill. Once the bridge they’ve been building for four months is completed, the army squad immediately walks the bridge and up to the hill. There is not a single enemy in sight. On Luke’s last day, he sees a man and a young boy walk across the large field from atop of the mountain, and Luke shoots and kills both of

Our society praises and respects these kinds of heroic actions. It is rare to find a movie in which a soldier attempts to rescue a fallen comrade and not only fails but loses his life in the process. Another heroic and courageous act is neutralizing a very large threat. This act occurs in Saving Private Ryan when a small squad of soldiers uses teamwork and ingenuity to disable a tank and a group of enemy soldiers accompanying it. This type of scenario can be found in many movies starring American soldiers. Movies tend to portray American soldiers victoriously overcoming their enemies because of their superior training, ability to think on their feet, improvise, and weaponry. It gives the message to the audience that American soldiers are better than any other country’s soldiers and that it is much more common for an American soldier to live through war. America has never admitted to losing a war and the news media usually mentions the deaths of American soldiers only when it seems that the soldiers were defenseless, such as when they are killed by car bombs or hidden improvised explosive devices, more commonly known as IEDs. This causes the perception that America can afford to go to war because American casualties always remain relatively low and America always wins. This perception coupled with America’s value of heroism and courage causes people to join the military in order to be

To sum up, this novel narrates the journey of a soldier throughout the war in Iraq and his mind altering experience. The war represents a major downfall in his life in which he encounters many graphic scenes. Even though John describes his experiences in the war as a