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Historic Examples of the Burdens of War

Historic Examples of the Burdens of War

War is a very interesting subject. Some say that it is inevitably unavoidable while some say that there is absolutely no reason for such a thing. However, there is one aspect of war that remains constant. The battles, in some way, change all of the people who are involved. Soldiers who become emotionally involved in a war risk altering their minds for the rest of their life. These alterations can either help or hinder the person. A good place to find examples of such events is in literature. There are many works that deal with this subject and they all show some way that men are changed after being in battle.

For instance, the short story “Guests of the Nation” written by Frank O’Connor demonstrates how war can change a man. The story is about two Englishmen who are held hostage by three Irishmen. The captors are named Bonaparte, Noble, and Donovan.

Noble and Bonaparte are two very young soldiers. The assignment to guard the hostages could in fact be their first important duty. Donovan is well acquainted with being in the army and has most likely had at least a few previous assignments. The inexperienced solders quickly become friends with their captives whereas Donovan remains reasonably cold and unsociable.

As the story progresses, we learn that the Englishmen are to be executed. Noble and Bonaparte are not too keen on this idea, but they must fulfill their duty as soldiers. The hostages are taken to the woods, and Donovan kills them both. At one point during the slaughter, Noble raises his hand to stop the killing, but he is too late.

This event has differing effects on both Noble and Bonaparte. Noble, being a religious man, went into the house, fell to his knees and began to pray for the two lost men. He told Bonaparte that the only thing that he could see was the little patch of bog where the men had died. We can draw from this that he will never forget the incident. He is no longer comfortable in his duty and may depart from the armed services. The event may have changed Noble for the better.

Bonaparte reacts in a very different way. Instead...

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