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Example research essay topic: Things They Carried Ted Lavender - 1,030 words

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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 OConnor 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 of only focusing on the execution, he neglects to even think about it. It will become an incident lost in the darkest part of his mind. He will soon forget about it completely. This will cause him to become lees friendly and more withdrawn. His career as a soldier may continue, but he will now be more like Donovan. He will be forever changed, as he says in the last line, anything that happened to me afterwards, I never felt the same about again.

Another story that illustrates this point is Tim OBriens The Things They Carried. Another war story, it tells of the happenings of a single brigade. The leader of the group is First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Cross is a hopeless romantic who carries with him letters from a girl named Martha at all times. Every evening, he reads the letters and dreams of enchanting voyages with the girl of his dreams. As he does this, he is separated from the war around him and is propelled into his own realm of fantasy.

There are more men in the group. Among these soldiers is a man named Ted Lavender. His escape from realty comes via marijuana. Each of the men carries something that allows them to depart from their surroundings and return home, but only in their minds. This leads to tragedy. One day, while the group was doing their daily activities, Ted Lavender had the urge to relieve himself.

Jimmy Cross was watching a hole when he began to daydream of Martha and the two of them being trapped forever in the earth. While he was in his own world, Ted Lavender was shot and killed in the real world. Lieutenant Cross blamed himself for his companions death. He thought that if he had been paying attention, he could have done something. He at least would have been able to help in some way. Jimmy Cross lack of involvement in the war may have cost Ted Lavender his life.

He then decided to change the way that he performed his duty. Now, he would take his job seriously and hand out more discipline. Marthas letters were burnt. The change that Jimmy Cross underwent was probably for the better.

He may have lost that sense of romanticism that once had helped him escape, but now that he is firmly planted in the real world, he can at least do as much as possible to ensure that no other tragedies happen when he is on command. One more example of hoe emotional involvement can affect a soldier is in Ernest Hemingway's Soldiers Home. This story tells of a soldier, named Krebs, returning home. Because of his emotional attachments to the war he had just fought made it very difficult to readapt to becoming a normal citizen.

It doesnt help that he has arrived after the initial barrage of soldiers have already returned. No one is rally enthused to see him and that makes it harder on him. His mother, not understanding his emotional state, keeps urging Krebs to return to his normal life. He eventually decides to move away so he can maybe regain his composure.

The memories of the war will never leave him, and he will never be the same. These are just a few stories that can be used to tell of the effects of war. Whatever the tale, the same aspect is in each of them. War has lifelong consequences on the people involved. Whether they improve or destroy the persons life, they are ever present. Works Cited OConnor, Frank, Guests of the Nation, Literature: Reading: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay 5 th Ed.

Robert Diyanni. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2002 OBrien, Tim, The Things They Carried Literature: Reading: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay 5 th Ed. Robert Diyanni. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2002 Hemingway, Ernest, Soldiers Home Literature: Reading: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay 5 th Ed. Robert Diyanni. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2002


Free research essays on topics related to: mcgraw hill, fiction poetry, things they carried, jimmy cross, ted lavender

Research essay sample on Things They Carried Ted Lavender

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