"The General"
Hey Soldiers,
What kind of war is worth fighting and what kind is not? Do you believe that one's perception changes after they have experienced war?
P.S. Related your response back into the The Things They Carried
(Jay Mehta Approved)
posted by Jay Mehta @ 11/07/2011
2 comments
2 Comments:
My definition of war is: War is defined in the dictionary as “a conflict carried on by force of arms” or “active hostility or contention; conflict; contest”. Personally, I believe a war worth fighting for is a war to save lives. World War II was a war worth fighting for. But since not all wars are fought with just guns and bombs, people do not have to die to be fighting a war.
A war to protect one’s innocence can be fought with just as much conviction as a war to protect lives. But then this leads to a war to protect one’s reputation. That is theme that is highly explored in The Things They Carried. Curt Lemmon’s number one priority is to protect his reputation, which is why he orders the dentist to pull out his tooth. Protecting one’s reputation is extremely important in the time we live in. With the massive amount of technology we have today, spreading lies about someone is extremely easy.
War, regardless of the kind, can leave a person cynical and forever changed. War between countries causes death and terror, and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Personal war can also cause death and extreme sadness. War is destructive, no matter what kind it is.
Any war or conflict worth fighting for is dependent on how much someone is willing to seek out the end result. I think when Mac talks about a war of innocence it is ironic because in the The Things They Carried their is nothing in that environment able to preserve innocence. However I do feel their is a war of keeping themselves grounded and sane. We have the term PTSD to define what people go through in the war but most of what war is, is losing: innocence, sanity, lives etc. I think after someone actually experiences war, whether it be a literal war, an external or internal conflict, they re-evaluate what a war worth fighting for is. Personally a war worth fighting for has to be close to a person and will involve a lot of emotions. I would like to say that the things I think are worth fighting for include peoples rights and for the protection against abuse of children(people in general) but I haven’t experienced enough to be sure of all the things I feel are worth fighting for, but I hope I find out.
Post a Comment
<< Home