Flags Of Our Fathers Sparknotes

The novel Flags of Our Fathers is about the six marine flag raisers and so called “heroes” of Iwo Jima. The six marines planted a flag on Mount Suribachi, which is on the island of Iwo Jima. It is also about the lives of the six marines before and after their mission on Iwo Jima. The names of the six marines were Mike Strank, Harlon Block, Ira Hayes, Jack Bradley, Franklin Sousley, and Rene Gagnon. Each of their life stories are told in this fascinating book. The author of this book James Bradley is the son of Jack “Doc” Bradley who was one of the flag raisers. He wrote this book to inform the audience about all the research and interviews he did to inform himself all about the flag raisers and the battle of Iwo Jima.

The novel starts of with

describing each of the flag raisers and describing their childhoods. Since his father was one of the flag raisers he starts of by describing him. He states that his father was born in 1923 in Antigo, Wisconsin, and that he was raised catholic and that his grandfather was also a veteran from World War II. He states that “My father was a friendly boy with a ready smile, but he never said much” (Bradley 11). By this James meant that his father never really talked and never liked being the center of attention or having much attention in general. He was an altar boy and knew what it meant to be a service boy. He also says that his parents first met each other by his father walking his mother to her house. He also says that one of his father's sister’s died which cause his grandmother to be closer to her children.
The next marine he talks about is Franklin Sousley, which he was born in Kentucky and he came from a farming family. He had only one older brother which “when Franklin was just three, five-year-old Malcolm suffered a ruptured appendix and died in Goldie’s arms” (Bradley 14). This made Franklin the only child and which also made his mom be closer to him. Then later within the years he had a new sibling. He was the man of the house and he always was busy helping his mom around the house doing chores so he didn't have much play time.
One of the other marines was Harlon Block, and he was a football texan player.

He only joined the army because everybody in his football team enlisted in it. He was from McAllen, Texas also known as “the Valley” and he was born on a farm. His dad fought in World War I at France. After an accident that burned down his families farmhouse his parents had to work there way back up to how they were before. Later on, they were in the dairy business. After all this, then his siblings were born and then he was born followed by three more boys. He was the middle child of his family, and he would always ride horses once he was done doing his chores. Then his family moved to Weslaco and then he stated to become interested in athletics and he began playing football. His mom however, in the other hand didn't agree with Harlon playing football she dislike the sport at all costs. His dad, Ed, and him became very close and they were “best friends”. Harlon would always worry about his looks and thought girls never paid attention to him. “But it’s doubtful that before he left Harlon Block ever kissed a girl” this is an example demonstrating that he because he thought girls didn't like him he didn't have relationships and experience with them (Bradley

19).
Ira Hayes was and Pima Indian marine and he was one of the six flag raisers. Ira was from the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona. He was the oldest of his five other siblings. By being a Pima Indian he was “...not recognized...as citizen. Pimas could not vote; they could not sue anyone in courts” (Bradley 20). This shows that the indians were treated like objects just like the slaves were treated. Ira never was one for words just like his father, yet when he spoke he sounded like a brilliant man and spoke well English. Ira was a book worm, he would always read books. Ira had enlisted in the marines after Pearl Harbor at the age of nineteen.
Rene Gagnon was an only child and he was born on March 7,1925 from Henry and Irene Gagnon.

He was one of the six famous flag raisers of Iwo Jima. Years later after he was born, his parents got divorced and his mom taken care of him. He was a fine, good looking boy and soon to be gentleman and because of this he was always the center of attention. His mom didn't approve of his new ‘girlfriend’ and she was good with Rene leaving for war if it meant that he would get away from the girl. However, what his mother didn't know was that he had made a promise to his girlfriend that once he returned from war he would marry

her.
Last but not least, Mike Stank was the oldest one of the flag raisers. Everybody valued his leadership and his quality of compasionness. He would always lead his ‘squad’ and he would say “and I’ll try to bring all of you back safely to your mothers. Listen to me, and follow my orders, and I’ll do my best to bring you home” (Bradley 25). This shows how dedicated and strong and trustworthy he was towards his comrades. He was born in a small farm town in Czechoslovakia which is no longer called that and doesn't exist. He was also the eldest of three brothers and they would all pray together each night and they would look out for one another at all times.. He was also close to his mother just like Jack Bradley. He was very good at memorizing that he never forgot anything. He was a very bright, intelligent young man which really benefited him at war.
The six boys in the novel do each represent America and its citizens. The James Bradley presents memoirs right off the bat of the novel, and fundamentally brings life into them back. These young men were illustrative as fighters, they each had their own stories, but then, on account of a photo they will perpetually be connected together as a unit. American troopers spoke to each social class and each territory of the United States. Military is a mix of everything American, and it serves a typical reason.
In Japanese society the men were shown that respect was everything. Life was actually not worth living without respect, and respect for the military man was found in biting the dust a brilliant passing for the Emperor. The Japanese extreme aversion of surrender, leaning toward death to the disrespect of being a prisoner, would be the most striking manly thought urged on American troops. Japanese responses to prisoners, at that point, was one controlled by both race and sexual orientation. Japanese officers judged American troops by Japanese principles of manliness. Men who enabled themselves to be taken as a prisoner did not have the privilege to be dealt with as a man. Combining a want to ensure the perfect race with a manly perfect which peaked in death for the Emperor was a formula for ruthless fighting, particularly between Japanese Imperial Troops and American Marines. Neither the Japanese Imperial Troops nor the American Marines saw eachother as human once the rival neglected to satisfy the racial and gender desires of the other. The Japanese completely expected the Americans, as men, to die before surrendering. The Americans, originated from a culture which acknowledged a trooper had the capacity to surrender with respect in place.
After the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor, America's state of mind toward the war changed; now Americans were engaged with a war in the ocean. American residents seized the opportunity to make penances for their nation. Mike Strank enrolled in the Marines before America entered the war. Ira Hayes shocked his Pima tribe by enrolling in the Marines, since the Pima were a quiet people, and turned into a USMC Paratrooper. Harlon Block enrolled with his whole Weslaco High football group, much to the mortification of his mom, Belle, a Seventh-Day Adventist. Jack Bradley chose to enroll in the Navy, with expectations of maintaining a strategic distance from war. Rene Gagnon enrolled at seventeen years old in May 1943. As individuals from the Raiders furnish in the Pacific, Mike Strank, Ira Hayes, and Harlon Block battle at Bougainville. After a dazzling triumph at Tarawa, "Howlin' Mad" Smith picks up trust in the valor of the Marines and spotlights on arranging land and/or water capable strikes.