Restrepo Sparknotes

Speaker: Sebastian Junger clearly expresses passion for the soldiers fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Junger is an award winning journalist and professional risk-taker who takes chances with his life by getting involved with all the actions necessary to report jaw dropping experiences. He clearly is a devout reporter who went as far as to risk his own life for his research and experiences such as going to see armed conflicts in Bosnia, Sierra, Leone, and Afghanistan, recreating The Perfect Storm in (1997), and putting out fires in the Idaho wilderness alongside with smoke jumpers. His accomplishments say a lot for him as a person who is defined by his devotion and passion for telling the stories

The rambunctious behavior of the soldier’s triumphant victory is a strong message visually for the viewer. These soldiers struggle to find their identity and once the war ends, the identity they’ve build at war vanishes, (McCutcheon, 2007). As a result, they essentially lose a part of them selves, (McCutcheon, 2007). When they return home, many soldiers struggle with psychological issues that prevent them from resuming their once regular lives, (McCutcheon, 2007). The images of soldiers celebrating at the end of war give the viewer a taste of this problem. This also allows the viewer insight to the deeper issues surrounding an American soldier’s mental stability and mentality. Through this image, along with many others throughout the film, the viewer is able to dig deeper and truly analyze what they are seeing.

The story that this book tells is the personal story of the deployment of Nicholas Irving aka ‘The Reaper’ a Ranger sniper during a 100 day deployment to Afghanistan, during which this sniper has 33 confirmed kills. The author tells us of his feelings and his actions during the various encounters, and while he does not tell the story of each and every one of his kills, it shows stories of how the modern battlefield works in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Everybody get down!!!” He freezes for a second and then it suddenly strikes him--his heart beats almost out of his chest, and his hands are shaking uncontrollably; this is war. This is Vietnam, a cruel war between the Americans and Vietnamese that takes place in a jungle. War is undoubtedly frightening and may seem like the number one threat for the soldiers, but it is not; it is not remotely close. The true threat at a time of war, especially in a place such as Vietnam is isolation. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien illustrates the danger of isolation and why it is the greatest danger in Vietnam. Soldiers are aware that they are detached from society; this continuously haunts them, and as a result, they damage themselves emotionally.

New generation is one of the stories of Apricot Jam, “written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, presents a microcosm of the Russian tragedy. Vozdvizhensky is an honorable and innocent soul who went through the effects of Betrayel. Vozdvizhensky an engineer professor at provincial college is the casualty of this brateyal in the story of “New generation”. All these unfurl in the story that unfolds in the trials of wreckers in the midst of tech intellectual elite.

     During their battles the squad sees that survival is not something that is taught but a matter of pure chance. They see their allies shooting allies. Their close friends in the war are killed and they must face the reality that getting out alive is luck. The goal of killing the enemy turns into just trying to stay alive yourself. And when their time is done they are faced with mourning for those who fell and bitter sweet relief that it is over.

Kurt Vonnegut is able to put a man’s face on war in his short story, “All the King’s Horse ”, and he exemplifies that in a time of war, the most forgotten effect on nations is the amount of innocent lives lost in meaningless battle due to unjust rulers fighting each other against a nation’s will. As Americans, we are oblivious to the fact that we have people fighting every day for our country. In addition, we ignore the fact that we do a lot of collateral damage and hurt innocent people unintentionally in order to get what we want. Vonnegut shows the reader in Pi Ying’s own sadistic way of demonstrating how he feels about war brings attention to the point that war, while unruly and cruel, is nothing

The Troubled Man Louie Zamperini a name that should go down in history. Louie could run a mile in 4:07.9 (indoors). He survived 47 days lost at sea, on a raft with 2 other people. He also survived 4 POW camps. In the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand Louie Zamperini appears to be very determined and resourceful.

His replica of the small details in his life, assist to highlight the tremendous changes he undergoes to become a child soldier. Here the detailed descriptions of loading the guns, attacking others, and the unending cycle of killing and death are interspersed with bland scenarios about his internal musings. Instead of being able to consider his ambitions of performing in a local talent quest, he is traumatized by the nightmares or flashbacks of being a ‘green snake’, the most effective killing machine he once was.

Published in 2008, The Forever War by Dexter Filkins compiles a series of vignettes that detail his encounters as a reporter in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Released a year after, director Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker also examines a harrowing account of the conflicts in Iraq. Both works poignantly present the unbridled violence that plague the region, and the futility of a war embedded within a vicious cycle of retaliation. Nevertheless, the portrayal of vengeance as a major motivating force of the war, as well as the war’s isolating and demoralizing effect on its witnesses, are better achieved in The Forever War. Contrary to the sole perspective of an American Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team in The Hurt Locker, Filkins includes multiple angles to explore each of the elements portrayed, and ultimately offers a more profound, subtle, and enduring explication than the film.

It shows the hardship of a Marine’s first time deployed, and thoroughly shows every aspect the struggle of the physical and mental rehabilitation. It showed how he began drinking and partying in Mexico as a way to cope with his newly developed unpleasant attitude and displeasing demeanor. When he returns to the US as an advocate against the war, it shows the difficulty the protestors endured and how difficult their mission was. When the film ends it shows how Kovic went full circle from desiring to be in the Marines and being a part of the war, to a drunken protestor dealing with his PTSD and how he turned everything around and became a straight-laced advocate against war for the Democratic Party, speaking at the Democratic National Convention (Stone & Kovic, 1989).

When most people of think of war, they generally think of the glorified aspects. Love and violence. Or perhaps their minds are drawn to an image of a soldier’s homecoming: A father embracing his son, crying tears of joy, all while the solider relays his experiences of the war among celebratory decorations. He is now considered a hero. But what difficulties has he faced to get there? This is the side of war that many of us don’t recognize. In the memoir, A Long Way Gone, author and protagonist, Ishmael Beah, experiences civil war and its effects first hand when he is forced into becoming a child soldier in the poor third world country of Sierra Leone. As the novel progresses, Ishmael becomes increasingly addicted to drugs,

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

Many are lost on the road to freedom and a world of reality. There is much anguish and suffering due to external and internal betrayal of the population as they seek victory against the machines. Even as all seems lost, and loved ones sacrificed, the insurgents never lose hope that they will affect change. The more it seems they are beaten, the harder and stronger they fight. As this war for freedom continues, it leaves little time, or inclination, for tranquil moments of spirituality and transcendence. So these underdogs put their faith in something more human and mystical.

In addition to Behind Enemy Lines, it is another film of Bosnian war era. Nevertheless, instead of being a lustrous and technically refined and amazing film, it presents a Bosnian version on the clash, over spilling with meaninglessness, sarcasm and unyielding tragedy. In fact the director of No Man’s Land, Tanovic started his filmmaking profession by making war footage for the Bosnian army and examined events as first hand observer which he mercilessly criticizes in the movie. The film starts in 1993, somewhere close to the Bosnian town of Tuzla, where a small body of relief soldiers from the Bosnian army are seen moving in the open countryside at night. As the thick fog covers the area, they determine to take a pause and have camp the night. Unluckily as the morning sun takes shape and fog subsides, it is known that they are lingering very close to the Serbian frontlines and consequently they are fired upon.