Effects Of War In Deniro's Game '

Effects of War in DeNiro’s Game

DeNiro’s Game is a novel based around war and the effects it has both mentally and physically. The novel is set in the war torn country of Lebanon. The main characters, Bassam and George, are greatly affected by the war. Families are destroyed, there is major corruption, and they are forced to make the choice to either stay and fight or to leave the country. This essay will look at the sacrifices and choices made by both characters.

Bassam and George have both had their families destroyed as a result of the war. Bassam lost his father when he was younger to a bomb attack in Beirut, thus leaving Bassam with only his mother to care for him. So, when he loses his mother to a bomb hitting their apartment he is
War almost always causes corruption as people look for positions of power. In the case of this novel, the corruption comes from the Christian militia led by Abou-Nahra. The first example is when Bassam is arrested and tortured for a crime he did not commit, “I did not steal them, I whispered through my broken teeth” (Hage 155). This quotation is taken from the part of the novel where Bassam is being tortured by a man named Rambo for a crime that Bassam did not commit. Bassam was arrested for allegedly stealing something from the militia. Bassam is beaten and tortured for weeks for this and when he is eventually let go, he is thrown in the trunk of a car, driven away and dumped on the street. Bassam is affronted that he was tortured for all this time, so once he is healthy he decides to take matters into his own hands by killing Rambo. He asks George to find out where Rambo lives so he can kill him. “My hands stretched forward, both of my index fingers squeezed the trigger, and I shot at him” (Hage 171). This is when Bassam waits at Rambo’s house for him to come home, and when Rambo steps out of his car, Bassam shoots him. This is one of the best examples of how corrupt Beirut is. This is also shortly before Bassam leaves for France. The last example of corruption in DeNiro’s Game is when Bassam starts illegally trafficking whisky for the militia. This quotation is
This is one of the big ideas in the novel. The choice to either stay and fight in the war or to leave the country and most likely never return. George and Bassam both choose very different paths in the novel. Bassam chooses to leave Beirut and go to France and stay with George’s family. He stows away on a ship that is headed for a city in the south of France. “I arrived at the port and went to find the ship. I looked for the Egyptian captain” (Hage 183), this is when Bassam goes to the port to board the ship that will take him to safety away from all that he has left in Beirut. Bassam makes a bold choice in leaving Beirut, although he has no family left, he leaves who is as close to family as he has, George. Bassam gives nearly all the money he has to the ship captain in order to leave Beirut. Bassam meets with the captain a few days before he leaves to negotiate a price, “I can give you seven hundred, I said, and I would be left with two hundred for when I get there, to face my destiny” (Hage 166). This is an example of how desperate Bassam is to leave Beirut. He gives the captain nearly all his money to get out. Bassam could have waited a little longer until he earned more money to be more financially secure in France, but he was so desperate to get out that he left as soon as he could possibly afford it. Bassam chose to leave everything in Beirut, this became an easier decision after the death of his mother as he had no one left to stay for. George on the