The Theme of War in the Works by W. Owen and T. OBrien - Essay Example

of the of the lecturer: The Theme of War in the Works by W. Owen and T. O’Brien Introduction The poem expounds largely on the theme of warfare during the World War One. Owen experienced the devastating effects of the war that caused massive suffering. The war also resulted in death of people who were ready to offer their lives for the sake of the country and the king. The kind of war that is depicted is very ironical in the sense that it doesn’t show the exact situation. The poem tries to explore the theme of war from different perspectives. It is based on the incidences of the gas attack that took the real world to insanity. The main aim of the poem is to explain the context of war that results in very devastating scenes and a loss of property and lives (Bloom 20). Suffering and patriotism. The poem captures the theme of suffering in the battle field that many soldiers faced. There was physical and psychological torture that many soldiers faced in the battle field. Very many soldiers struggled in the battle field to stay alive. The author speaks of a fatal gas attack that makes him imagine vividly the pain that he underwent in the past and also in the present. The way the government views wars is directly opposite to the way people in the battle field face it. Soldiers suffer and die to protect their countries, people may think that it is fun, but the real truth is that soldiers pay heavy prices to get their countries pride (Bloom 26). Another part of the war theme that the poem tries to describe is the sense of patriotism that soldiers always tend to have when in the battle field. The battle field is very ghastly, and many soldiers lose their life for the sake of the countries. Everyone may seem lost in the events of the war, but the governments will have the opportunity of making sure that every youth is sacrificed for the sake of the national interest. The movie Dulce et Decorum Est shows a real situation of how the people who have never taken part in the battle tend to organize themselves, and how the real war will be fought by soldiers in the battle field (Bloom 19). Vision of reality. The theme of reality version is brought into this context of war in a very ironical way; people who plan for the real war never take part in the battle field. The planners and soldiers never understand each other when it comes to the purpose of such real wars. The soldiers always find it very difficult to inform those who are left behind about the kinds of traumas and difficulties that they face. There is a communication barrier between the soldiers and the planners especially when it comes to stopping wars. It is the soldiers who face the harsh environment and the trauma that the battle fields come with and they make sure that the honor that the country deserves is found. The theme of warfare in this poem is categorically given in two perspectives. It tackles the losses and sufferings that soldiers find in the battle field (Bloom 21). These are the tragedies that soldiers find very irreconcilable. The poem also captures war as never ending nightmares that always revolve around unforeseen enemies and lead to bitterness which creates the kind of the destruction that is always associated with war. The soldiers fight people whom they perceive to be enemies because they have been given orders. The kind of agony that many soldiers and civilians undergo in the real war is not always present. There are many old real lies that exist during the times of war left. Fear of shame as motivation. There is a big contrast between the Owens’s poem and that one that is explored by O’Brien. In the poem The Things They Carried, the theme of fear of shame as motivation is extensively explored. Nobody wants to fight in a war that has no reason, a war that is considered unjust, but because he never wants to be taken as a coward, he engages in the fight. There is no patriotism in O’Brien’s poem as seen in the poem by Owen. He is merely engaging in the fight to prove his family and community that he is not a coward, and that is why, he took his time to go to Canada. The disapproval of the family members made so many people participate in the Vietnam War. They wanted social acceptance and nobody was willing to be ashamed. These made so many young people go into the battle fields. The use of the fear of shame misguided many youngsters to participate in the war as it is shown by Jimmy Cross who went to war because his friend had become so confused by the events in the battle field and was endangering the lives of his fellow soldiers (Bloom 21). Ambiguous morality, loneliness and isolation. Another important theme that O’Brien explores in this poem is the kind of ambiguous morality that exists in the battle field. He explains that there is no morality in the battle field because during the war times people have to make both ends meet since they are forced to face the extremities that have no solution, but war only. In this poem it contradicts the Owens’s perception that the kind of the ammunitions used in war causes massive losses of life and property while he explores the themes of loneliness and isolation. The author tries to explain that it is isolation and loneliness that destroy soldiers in the battle field (Bloom 25). Conclusion War is a real pity. The real truth is that those who are left at home may not actually know how the real battle fields look like and the most ironical part of it is that soldiers themselves may not even be aware of the reasons why they are in war. What holds them together is the kind of patriotism that they have for their countries. The shun politics in strongest terms possible. References Bloom, Harold. Tim O'Brien's “The Things They Carried”. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2005. Print. Read More