People have different interpretations of everything. One painting can have completely opposite meanings to two different people. That’s the fascinating thing about the connection between art and the human mind. The painting “The Surrender” by Joseph Griffith portrays the difference between American culture and the culture or beliefs of our enemies.…
Robin Jenkins effectively conveys loss of innocence and ant war through sophisticated symbolism in the short story “Flowers”. It tells the story of a young girl, Margaret, who was evacuated from the city of Glasgow to the highlands of Scotland in an attempt to avoid the inhumanity of war, but it is in the highlands where she truly witnessed the brutality of war.…
The Wednesday War by Gary D. Schmidt is an interesting realistic fiction novel that illustrates the life of a seventh grade boy named Holling Hoodhood. His accounts begin during the Vietnam War, which brings sadness to those around him. The tragic events during 1967 affect the way Holling looks at the world. This includes discrimination to his Vietnamese friend. He also learns very important life lessons from Shakespeare’s books, which Mrs. Baker forced him to read.…
“An exciting adventure.” That was the mentality of boys and men all over the North and South, leading up to the Civil war. Seeing an alternative to the monotonous farm life, many men were eager and filled with anticipation at the thought of being in a war. In The Boys War by Jim Murphy, these men and boys learn the truth about war. Many preconceptions are shattered, and fantasies are broken wide open by reality. One common misconception was that the fighting would be constant, but this was not the case. When soldiers were not marching, being drilled, or in the midst of a skirmish, there was often leisure time. During these periods, men and boys were free to pursue activities and games. Gambling, pulling pranks, and occasional fraternization were three pastimes of men and boys alike during the war.…
The main point of the narrative by Joseph Plumb Martin is to show the Revolutionary War through the eyes of the people who are the lowest in the militaries chain of command, the private soldier. Martin was an average soldier who described the hardships he and his fellow soldiers went through. The soldiers were malnourished and not properly clothed for the weather. Many didn’t have shoes, Martin made moccasins out of leather and tied them around his feet so they wouldn’t bleed from the cold. Martin states, “we had nothing to eat for two or three days previous, except what the trees of the field and forest afforded us.”(124) This quote shows that even though they were expected to fight for their country, they were essentially left to fend for…
“Michael Howard’s ‘War and the Liberal Conscience’ is as persuasive a book could be about the necessity of studying war.” How far would you agree with this statement?…
Joseph Plumb Martin was born on November 1760 in western Massachusetts. He wrote a book in which he described the life of an ordinary soldier during the American Revolution.”A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier” not only informed about the poor conditions in which the troops lived but also is one of the few soldier's accounts of the Revolution in general.…
How to Tell a True War Story The Irony of Truth in Tim O'Brien's "How to Tell a True War Story"…
Mark Twain wrote The War Prayer in response to the opposition to the Philippine-American War. Twain was a staunch anti-war and anti-imperialist supporter. To take a stance as such at this time in history was considered unpatriotic and in view of most Americans an act of treason. Not many Americans tolerated unpatriotic views during this time. Twain communicates that patriotism and religion are no justifications for war. Twain also felt contempt for people who blindly supported patriotism and war, without knowing the effects of war. Twain contended that those who supported the war only heard one prayer, the other was unheard. Basically praying for victory is praying for the destruction of another. Twain also felt that imperialism was…
The northerners seemed to act cautious over John Brown’s raid, almost trying to distance themselves from association, even though they may have agreed with it. There were, however, several northerners who were amazed at Brown’s dedication to such a cause, some viewing it as a heroic and martyr-type deed. His raid brought about the Southerners deepest fears though. Here was an African American trying to start an uprising of slaves; hence the southerners felt it had to be stopped. Even though Republicans tried not to be associated with Brown’s raid, the southern Democrats tied each of them together fueling the soon-to-be war.…
In the near future, I see myself winning the Revolution War with the Patriots. I can picture it in my head, every single little detail. I will be at the front of the army as we charge towards the Redcoats. We will be fierce and strong in our ragged clothes and bare feet. We will stand firm when the British try to fight us. If they beat us, we will stubbornly keep coming back until they raise the white flag! I know it seems hard to believe but if you see it from my perspective, I am sure I will change your mind. Right now I am at Valley Forge in the 1700’s. It is dreary, smoky, and cold but I always try to be optimistic. I try to boost my fellow soldiers’ spirits. I am usually successful, though most men are going home and not returning.…
There are many things in American history; both good and bad. John Brown’s raid an Harpers Ferry, in particular, is one of those things. John Brown, a white abolitionist, is one of those ‘things in history,’ or rather, a history maker, for what he did and who he was is quite the story and had a huge impact on early America and the start of the Civil War. Brown is described by some as the man that “Killed slavery, sparked the Civil War, and seeded Civil rights” and as “An American who gave his life that millions of other Americans might be free.” It is still today a controversial argument about whether or not John Brown was an accomplished hero or a failed anti-slavery terrorist.…
A battle of freedom vs. tyranny (Schultz, 2014, 99). The Revolutionary War consisted of a group fighting for a place they want to call their own and a group fighting for the people they once called their own. The freedom the Colonists fought for was not easy coming though. There were many steps that lead into the battle that determined their freedom. By looking at the causes, the course of the war, the outcomes, and its influence on the American Identity, the reality of the Revolutionary war and its major battles will show how hard our freedom was to gain.…
During Joseph Martin journey in the revolution war he found himself not agreeing with many of the things the other soldiers were used to doing. The other soldiers were used to always getting what they wanted, when they wanted it. In order to do this, whenever they needed something, such as food they would just barge into nearby homes and demand for what they wanted. Most home owners knew that if they didn't do what the soldiers asked, that things would go very bad quickly. Meaning a large amount of the home owners would just be friendly and give the soldiers what they wanted just to keep the peace. Also some of the home owners enjoyed getting a visit from the soldiers because it made them fell wanted and thankfully to help support a fellow soldier. Martin didn't have the same view as many of the soldiers did on this certain activity. Well he was involved with doing that activity he would feel guilty and wanted to apologize to the family because he didn’t think they deserved such a thing. He didn’t enjoy doing it because he believed it was rude and that they were abusing their power of authority. Before he went to war he learned right from wrong and would never imagine doing such a thing to innocent citizens in the area. The only reason that he would participate in this activity was because Soldiers during the war had been doing it prior to when he entered the war and he didn't want to deal with all the others soldiers by telling them his real opinion on it. Also he needed the items the other soldiers were asking for as well but just wanted there to be another way for them to get it. Even though he didn't agree with many of the things he had to do while he was gone at war, going into other people's home uninvited was the thing he disagreed with the most.…
Only fifty years after defeating the British at Yorktown, many American citizens had forgotten the contributions African Americans had given during the eight years of fighting and defending our country in the American Revolutionary War. In the year of 1876 at the Centennial Celebration of the Revolution in Philadelphia, not one speaker gave any form of acknowledgment to an African American who contributed to establishing our nation.…