A Comparative Study Of “A Mystery Of Heroism” and “War is Kind” “A Mystery Of Heroism” and “War is Kind” are texts written by Stephen Crane about the American Civil War showing the pointlessness and losses that occurred during that time period. Although both texts have similar ideals, they also differ substantially when it comes to making certain points. These texts are a prime example of realism, which is one of Crane’s most popular literary theories used. “A Mystery Of Heroism” is a short story by Stephen Crane portraying the pointlessness of war. It begins with the protagonist, Fred Collins, who is in desperate need for a drink of water. He decides, against all odds, to face the battlefield in his search for anything to quench his thirst, and runs through a battlefield to get to a well. Filling up a bucket with water, he manages to make his way back to his sidelines, stopping in the meantime to give water to a dying man. However, as the first officers take a drink, the bucket manages to drop from their hands and onto the ground, effectively displaying the irony when looking at the bigger picture- war does not mean progress, and it is in fact, senseless. By mocking the typical, “romantic” hero, and using realism, Crane implements a new type of hero- one that is more realistic and more achievable for the average person. Fred Collins stands up for his own beliefs, and shows kindness to a dying man. …show more content…
It is a highly ironic piece, once again rebelling against the idea of traditional heroes. In the poem, the narrator thrice tells different women not to cry, even though their husbands, sons, and fathers are dying on the battlefield, because “war is kind”. The text uses repetition of these three words throughout the text to emphasize the cruelty of war, and the “smallness” of the soldiers- ”Little souls who thirst for fight, These men were born to drill and die.”, shows
It illustrates when troops are back from the war their are considering taking their lives because their feel like murders since; they took someone else’s life and all the killing that happens within the war. For example, when one of their comrade’s is killed they feel guilty, and it will lead them to feel like their should have done a better job protecting each other. As a result, what they experience during the war can cause trauma to the brain, trigger the memory system and every man’s life
The struggle of war is more than a physical struggle. It is the emotional and moral struggles that weigh soldiers down even after the war. In O’Brien’s chapter “On the Rainy River,” he experiences different thoughts on whether
“It is a great brotherhood” these soldiers have from everything thick and thin, experiencing the men “condemned to death” to the “desperate loyalty” of men as well (Remarque 272). Throughout the novel the awareness of camaraderie comes at you because it is just so strong. The displayance of camaraderie is shown also in the poem “The Dug-Out”, sharing the hurt the men feel when one is suffering. When a bond is so strong, it will ache the other side of the bond when there is pain. The men would feel “ hurt [in their] heart to watch them]” go through the deep horrors of war
Tim O’Brien views heroism much differently than most. His comrades in Vietnam may base a hero upon his accomplishments in war; however, O’Brien’s version of a hero comes in the most casual aspect. O’Brien’s message on heroism communicates the simplicity of wisdom through the rhetorical elements of diction, tone, and ethos. In O’Brien’s acceptance speech, he uses effective diction to describe his hero, Elroy Birdall.
Readers, especially those reading historical fiction, always crave to find believable stories and realistic characters. Tim O’Brien gives them this in “The Things They Carried.” Like war, people and their stories are often complex. This novel is a collection stories that include these complex characters and their in depth stories, both of which are essential when telling stories of the Vietnam War. Using techniques common to postmodern writers, literary techniques, and a collection of emotional truths, O’Brien helps readers understand a wide perspective from the war, which ultimately makes the fictional stories he tells more believable.
Fighting in a war has become an image of courage and honour. Those who fall in war are given status and respect. While those who survive are made to relive events of the war, retelling the experience of war allows soldiers to add details to make them seem more courageous than they might truly be. The story of On the Rainy River by Tim O’Brian tells a story of his lack of courage. O'Brien used his intelligence to find reasons that he should not go to war, such as not being able to survive or being better and thinks that there is no purpose for the Vietnam war and that there should be a reason for war.
Men in battle were not only dying from bullets, but from a lack of nutrients. Crane makes the reader give the reader the impression that being in war is tough. Crane gives the reader the sense of experiencing the war, just like the characters in the
Every Once and awhile, tragedy strikes, and the whole country sits still. On January 13th, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed. An event such as this one, though tragic, is sadly fairly common. Although, on January 13th, every soul in the united states had their eyes glued on the news channels, following the crash. There are many speculations about why this crash, in particular influenced the public so dramatically.
Things I Carry The things I carry to school are to ease my job everyday. I carry my backpack so it could hold all my other materials which I need to carry. I carry extra pencils in case of loss of my actual pencil. One day in January, my mechanical pencil ran out of lead during a math test, and I had to waste five minutes to get another pencil.
How it was shaped: Tim allowed the draft of the Vietnam war and societal pressures get to the best of him and he slowly tore himself apart, he started off as a confident incorrigible man. His morals later then became corrupted, he gave into the pressures, his self proclaimed Lone Ranger status had been infected and debunked by his end decision of serving in the Vietnam war. Thesis: In the story, On the Rainy River, the author, Tim O’Brien demonstrates that an individual allows societal pressures and expectations to override their core values, morals, and beliefs; peer pressure forces individuals to put their beliefs aside so they can fit in with everyone else. The narrator, Tim O’Brien faces a similar situation when he get’s drafted for the Vietnam War.
In the short story The Sniper, Liam O’Flaherty recounts a story of an Irish sniper fighting for the republican army during the Irish Civil War. He wrote this short story based on his experience with time at war. Liam o’flaherty illustrates how war can reduce the value of family and human lives, betrayal, and suspense. In this essay I will be discussing these major themes as well as comparing this story to books such as The Odyssey and others containing similar themes. This essay also will discuss how suspense is used in Liam O’Flaherty’s The Sniper.
Although the soldier he killed was an enemy soldier, instead of vilifying him he was able to humanize the man. O’Brien was able to describe the physical appearance of the soldier and imagine her life before war. The author was able to portray an emotional connection and made the line between friend and enemy almost vanish. This was able to reveal the natural beauty of shared humanity even in the context of war’s horror. O’Brien is able to find the beauty in the midst of this tragic and horrible event.
The poem aims to glorify soldiers and certain aspects of war, it goes on to prove that in reality there really isn 't good vs bad on the battlefield, it 's just a man who "sees his children smile at him, he hears the bugle call, And only death can stop him now—he 's fighting for them all.", and this is our hidden meaning.
Through paradox and irony, O'Brien demonstrates the lack of courage that he, and others, possess as a soldier. After being drafted into the
In the short story “On the Rainy River”, Tim O’Brien has an idea of fleeing to Canada and avoiding the war. However, he simply chooses to go against his beliefs and go to war. This action reveals him as a week-minded and self-conscious person. Because of this minute act, O’Brien lives the rest of his life in utter embarrassment and sadness (“I survived, but it's not a happy ending.