In the article "A Band of Brothers" James McPherson examines the way soldiers in the Civil War reacted to such intense pressures and whether or not they were committed for what they were fighting for. McPherson's purpose was to answer the question that puzzled many historians,"How were ordinary men able to withstand the conditions and brutality of one of the bloodiest wars known to mankind?" McPherson states that the traits of courage, bravery, and valor were partly the reasons why these soldiers kept on fighting despite the chance of death. However, the one thing soldiers feared more than death was to be remembered as a coward and the fear of their families having to live in disgrace and embarrassment. Although soldiers were fearful of death, …show more content…
the thought of returning home as a coward was much worse which motivated the soldiers to fight for their cause and die a heroic death. McPherson placed the thesis of his article in the introduction stating that the soldiers feared cowardice so much because they won't be able to stand among men and their entire families social status will deteriorate.
McPherson breaks down his thesis and answers it all throughout this article. McPherson backed up his thesis when he explained how S.L.A. Marshall stated that," Personal honor is the one thing valued more than life itself by majority of men." This reveals that there a lot of things much more than death and that dying in disgrace just isn't worth it. McPherson also adds that the soldiers knew each other well which put pressure on them to avoid being a coward. This reveals the brotherhood and trust soldiers had with one another that no matter what they were always going to be there until the end. McPherson explains that …show more content…
many Zaghmouri 2 feared the idea of dying a coward as a result of the absence of censorship and the thought of their name being exposed in a negative way. McPherson adds that some soldiers tried to avoid fighting and going down as a coward by adopting "cannon fever". Many soldiers pretended to be sick in an effort to avoid fighting while others (despite illness) remained loyal and continued to fight. Robert Shaw stated that," It was splendid to see those sick fellows walk straight up into the shower of bullets, as if it were so much rain." This reveals vast difference in mindsets between cowards and those who are passionate about what they are doing and their loyalty to each other. It is moments like these that distinguish the men from the boys. The article " Band of Brothers" helps my understanding of the historical period because it shows that a man's name, his honor, and being able to look men in the eye without fear was a valuable trait during this time.
It shows the trust these soldiers had among one another and their dedication to what they believe in. It also give me a good idea of how cowards were looked at in society. This shows the courage these men had and that they had no doubt in their hearts that what they were doing was the right thing. These soldiers were willing to die than to come back home with their head down. The patriotism these men had by far outmatched any doubts they had with themselves. This article shows that this war had a lot more meaning behind it than most see. The biggest enemy each soldier had wasn't the army on the other side raining bullets at their head, but rather the one inside. They had to overcome the fear of death and to throw their own lives aside for the sake of their cause and those fighting alongside
them. The main strength of this article was it provided a multitude of examples to support the original assertion made in the introduction of the text. This article effectively gives the audience the point of view of both sides(The coward and the strong soldier). However, the author may be Zaghmouri 3 bias because he only gives the quotes of soldiers who say they aren't cowards but in reality may not really mean it. McPherson supports his thesis throughout his article and allowed me to make connections I personally have never made before. As a result, I recommend this article because it broadens the readers' point of view and betters our understanding of this time period.
More than 25,000 letters and 250 private diaries from men on both side of North and South. Talking about the soldier's ideals for which they fought over conflicts and beliefs of each side. McPherson took all of the soldier’s ideas and beliefs and made this powerful and important book on an often-overlooked aspect of the Civil War. Also, it brought great honor and powerfully moving account for the men that fought in the civil war.
The book “For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought In The Civil War” by James M. McPherson examines the motivations of the soldiers who fought in the Civil War. McPherson wanted to understand why the men fought in the Civil War and why they fought so ferociously for such a large amount of time even though there was a huge possibility of death, disease and injurys.To answer the question regarding the reasons why men fought in the Civil War so viciously, and for such a long period of time, James McPherson studied countless amounts of letters, diaries and other mails that were written or sent by the soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
The novel All Quiet On the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, the poem, “In Flanders Field,” by John McCrae and the film, Gallipoli, Demonstrates how war makes men feel unimportant and, forces soldiers to make hard decisions that no one should half to make. In war people were forced to fight for their lives. Men were forced to kill one another to get their opinion across to the opposing sides. When men went home to their families they were too scared to say what had happened to them in the war. Many people had a glorified thought about how war is, Soldiers didn't tell them what had truly happened to them.
The book ‘For Cause and Comrades’ is a journey to comprehend why the soldiers in the Civil War fought, why they fought so passionately, and why they fought for the long period of time. Men were pulling guns against other men who they had known their whole lives. McPherson’s main source of evidence was the many letters from the soldiers writing to home. One of the many significant influences was how the men fought to prove their masculinity and courage. To fight would prove they were a man to their community and country. Fighting also had to do with a duty to their family. Ideology was also a major motivating factor; each side thought they were fighting for their liberty. The soldier’s reputations were created and demolished on the battlefield, where men who showed the most courage were the most honored. Religion also played an important role because the second Great Awakening had just occurred. Their religion caused the men who thought of themselves as saved to be fearless of death, “Religion was the only thing that kept this soldier going; even in the trenches…” (McPherson, p. 76) R...
In James McPherson’s novel, What They Fought For, a variety of Civil War soldier documents are examined to show the diverse personal beliefs and motives for being involved in the war. McPherson’s sample, “is biased toward genuine fighting soldiers” (McPherson, 17) meaning he discusses what the ordinary soldier fought for. The Confederacy was often viewed as the favorable side because their life style relied on the war; Confederates surrounded their lives with practices like slavery and agriculture, and these practices were at stake during the war. On the other hand, Northerners fought to keep the country together. Although the Civil War was brutal, McPherson presents his research to show the dedication and patriotism of the soldiers that fought and died for a cause.
In The Red Badge of Courage, Henry Fleming was drawn to enlist by his boyhood dreams. His highly romanticized notion of war was eclectic, borrowing from various classical and medieval sources. Nevertheless, his exalted, almost deified, conception of the life of a soldier at rest and in combat began to deflate before the even the ink had dried on his enlistment signature. Soon the army ceased to possess any personal characteristics Henry had once envisioned, becoming an unthinking, dispas...
Many soldiers who come back from the war need to express how they feel. Many do it in the way of writing. Many soldiers die in war, but the ones who come back are just as “dead.” Many cadets come back with shell shock, amputated arms and legs, and sometimes even their friends aren’t there with them. So during World War I, there was a burst of new art and writings come from the soldiers. Many express in the way of books, poems, short stories and art itself. Most soldiers are just trying to escape. A lot of these soldiers are trying to show what war is really like, and people respond. They finally might think war might not be the answer. This is why writers use imagery, irony and structure to protest war.
This event was significant because it reminded the men of what they were fighting for, personally and as a whole. It would be all too easy to give in, but reminders such as these kept the men alive.
Not all soldiers had a definite answer of why they fought, but it was definitely an open-ended question. In order to find a realistic answer to the question, McPherson gathered physical emotions from personal letters and diaries from soldiers during their war experience (1). The two sides, Confederate and Union, both had their reasons for going into war voluntarily and forcefully. He wanted to know what motivated volunteer soldiers to
Whether engaging in European trench warfare or fighting through the jungles of Vietnam, a soldier must learn to cope with the incredible mental stress brought on by the ever-present threat of a grisly death. The physical stress introduced by poor nutrition, a harsh and hostile environment, and the cumulative physical effect of emotional trauma only serves to make a trying situation even more taxing. It is out of this violently stressful environment that the coping mechanisms that characterize wartime masculinity arise.
They were tired of just hiding from sniper fire coming from the Viet Cong. The soldiers wanted to go out a fight. Caputo described numerous times were the soldiers almost shot one another in the dark because they thought they were Viet Cong. Caputo does a good job at this as well you can feel the turning point when some of the men start to realize the reality that takes place in Vietnam. Caputo was different he seemed to feel at ease even when a bullet landed only a few feet above him. Later when Caputos platoon were chasing down some of the Viet Cong. they find a camp of the enemy that has letters, pictures, and items from their families back home. This information gives the audience a different outlook on war. Everyone thinks especially me that the enemy are heartless criminals that you would not think twice about killing. Seeing that the enemies have families and kids changes how you view them. That is what makes this book special you have a first hand information that has not been altered to make the story more enjoyable. Unlike how most people view wars through hollywood movies. This book lets you see and feel the war exactly like a marine would have during his time there. As the war goes on the death toll rises. Men start to pile up a deaths start to come daily. I feel like this is Caputos turning point. He is heavily involved in this because he is doing the casualty reporting. When he
This contrast in style affirms that the soldiers are human and provides emphasis to the weight these intangible objects have on the soldiers. An emotional burden that the men must carry is the longing for their loved ones. The Vietnam War forced many young men to leave their loved ones and move halfway across the world to fight a questionable war in an unfamiliar land.... ... middle of paper ... ...
...ust deal with similar pains. Through the authors of these stories, we gain a better sense of what soldiers go through and the connection war has on the psyche of these men. While it is true, and known, that the Vietnam War was bloody and many soldiers died in vain, it is often forgotten what occurred to those who returned home. We overlook what became of those men and of the pain they, and their families, were left coping with. Some were left with physical scars, a constant reminder of a horrible time in their lives, while some were left with emotional, and mental, scarring. The universal fact found in all soldiers is the dramatic transformation they all undergo. No longer do any of these men have a chance to create their own identity, or continue with the aspirations they once held as young men. They become, and will forever be, soldiers of the Vietnam War.
The impact of the Vietnam War upon the soldiers who fought there was huge. The experience forever changed how they would think and act for the rest of their lives. One of the main reasons for this was there was little to no understanding by the soldiers as to why they were fighting this war. They felt they were killing innocent people, farmers, poor hard working people, women, and children were among their victims. Many of the returning soldiers could not fall back in to their old life styles. First they felt guilt for surviving many of their brothers in arms. Second they were haunted by the atrocities of war. Some soldiers could not go back to the mental state of peacetime. Then there were soldiers Tim O’Brien meant while in the war that he wrote the book “The Things They Carried,” that showed how important the role of story telling was to soldiers. The role of stories was important because it gave them an outlet and that outlet was needed both inside and outside the war in order to keep their metal state in check.