The Man He Killed Analysis
War is not only causes physical injuries, but emotional ones as well. Throughout history, soldiers returning from war have acquired emotional damage after enduring to the harsh conditions of combat. They suffer from illnesses such as PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress disorder, a disorder in which traumatizing experiences from the past still affect an individual to which they are unlike themselves anymore. Along with PTSD they suffer from moral injury, the pain that results from damage to a person's moral foundation. In All Quiet on The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque and Thomas Hardy's’ “The Man He Killed” characters struggles with the emotional effects of war. Despite the internal struggle faced by Paul and the speaker from the poem, both
…show more content…
After ending Gérard Duval's life in the trench, Paul feels guilty of taking another man's life. He struggles to cope with his moral injury as he feels he did not need to kill the man. Paul believes that Gerard Duval poses no threat to him as Gerald is already helpless and dying. Paul states that he “would give much if he would stay alive”, and “each word [he] translate pierces [him] like a shot in the chest” (Remarque 221 and 225). Paul wishes that he could have taken back what he had done and allow the man to die on his own. Paul faces the reality of war, as his own hands become a weapon. Similarly, the speaker in “The Man He Killed” struggles with internal conflict after killing an enemy in combat. The speaker tries to reason with himself in hopes of justifying his actions. He momentarily forgets why he shot the man, but then states “I shot him dead because- / because he was my foe” (Hardy 9-10). The speaker pauses based on the repetition of “because” to indicate his confusion as to why he shot the man in the first place. The speaker continues on, not putting much thought towards the topic. Both Paul and the speaker battle a similar internal conflict, a conflict that every soldier has to deal
After ending Gérard Duval's life in the trench, Paul feels guilty of taking another man's life. He struggles to cope with his moral injury as he feels he did not need to kill the man. Paul believes that Gerard Duval poses no threat to him as Gerald is already helpless and dying. Paul states that he “would give much if he would stay alive”, and “each word [he] translate pierces [him] like a shot in the chest” (Remarque 221 and 225). Paul wishes that he could have taken back what he had done and allow the man to die on his own. Paul faces the reality of war, as his own hands become a weapon. Similarly, the speaker in “The Man He Killed” struggles with internal conflict after killing an enemy in combat. The speaker tries to reason with himself in hopes of justifying his actions. He momentarily forgets why he shot the man, but then states “I shot him dead because- / because he was my foe” (Hardy 9-10). The speaker pauses based on the repetition of “because” to indicate his confusion as to why he shot the man in the first place. The speaker continues on, not putting much thought towards the topic. Both Paul and the speaker battle a similar internal conflict, a conflict that every soldier has to deal