Haldeman Hero Summary

The story “Hero” by Joe W. Haldeman raises a few significant questions concerning the impact of technological change and how it affects the ethical/moral nature of warfare. This story presents the reader with a specific setting, which fuels further thought into the technological implications regarding the change at a humanistic level. The nature of ethical questions raised are impactful to the story given how the mechanical suits change my point of view on how the soldiers are portrayed throughout their training. Furthermore, these suits blur the lines between the human and mechanical aspect of the warfare. The story offers a unique and distinct approach to present the characters’ humanistic ethical values while they deal with the technological

Thereafter, he presents us with the technological change: the mechanical combat suits. Lastly, we see how the soldiers deal with the technological change and how it changes the ethical/moral nature of warfare as we progress with the story. It is imperative to understand how the author gives us a glimpse of the natural value the soldiers hold dear because they are, in fact, still human. He first introduces the characters as people; the main character’s name is William Mandella. He is part of an elite group of soldiers consisting of both men and women. They all possess an IQ of 150 and above who are experts or professionals in different areas of knowledgeable subjects (physics, biology, engineering etc.) “So here we are, fifty men and fifty women, with IQ’s over 150 and bodies of unusual health ad strength…” (Haldeman, pg. 76). Afterwards, they are introduced to their survival/combat suits and their capabilities (mentioned in the second paragraph). It is within my interest to further explain the suits because they play an integral part in raising significant questions about the impact that technological change is likely to have on the ethical/moral nature of

The suits are personified as an essential survival combat tool for the soldiers. To me, the suits are an affectation of potential combat effectiveness although, I admit, they are required to survive hostile environments. Given the premise, I reflected on the importance of technology throughout the latter half of the story. The suits are, as I comprehended, of more importance than the soldier inside. They were programmed to self-destruct should the soldier die or become incapacitated because the higher-ups did not want the technology to fall within the enemy’s grasp. This raises an obvious question of moral worth: Is the soldier expendable enough to warrant the destruction of a suit? As I further reflected, I became aware of a change of the ethical/moral nature of warfare. The soldiers were relevant only to operate these expensive technological innovations. The humanistic element is not encouraged in the story; however, it is painfully present to the soldiers. After the tragic loss of a friend (Brovanovitch), we are given a glimpse of the natural emotion expected after the loss of a comrade. “I sacked with Rogers; everybody sacked with a good friend, but still all she wanted to do was cry, and she cried so long and so hard that she got me doing it too” (Haldeman, pg. 88). From my point