War As An Act Of Cowardice Essay

I do agree with the statement that a person can enter war as an act of cowardice. Prior to being drafted into a war, an individual likely already has strong feelings about that war. Just like O’Brien, they may experience moral confusion when the demands of their country and community conflicts with the demands of their principles and ethical conscience. On page 38 after just graduating college, O’Brien states that he hated the war where “certain blood was being shed for uncertain reasons.” A dilemma is presented where O’Brien compares the guilt of avoiding the draft against the guilt of going to war where killing and bloodshed was common. While it may seem obvious that killing is far more reprehensible than avoiding a draft, others may not see it that way.
Entering war can be seen as an act of cowardice where a person is unable to stand and speak out about their own beliefs because they let other people’s opinions and judgement dictate their actions instead of making independent choices. On page 57 where O’Brien is on the Rainy River and sees dozens of people labelling him as a traitor or turncoat, he mentions his decision to join the war “had nothing to do with morality”, but “because he was embarrassed not to.” As a person who “couldn’t risk the embarrassment”, which is a characteristic of cowardice, it supports the war and daring soldiers propaganda where how people who fight in the war are this brave figure and ultimately fighting for the