Johnny Got His Gun Chapter Summary

The setting of “Johnny Got His Gun” is an English hospital during World War I. In this book, Dalton Trumbo captures the socioeconomic and political implications of the War that had changed the lives of many Americans at home and overseas. The book centers around the life of Joe Bonham who experiences firsthand the horrors of World War I. Joe is forced to join the military to serve his country and thus fight in foreign lands to secure the global freedom. However, the consequences of this War are far-reaching as he becomes a victim. Joe is left disabled as his legs and arms are amputated after he survives a blast. He also loses his senses, but his mind continues to function properly. Thus, he experiences emotional torment as he cannot accept his new condition. Joe’s face is also scarred and thus people are not able to recognize him or even his nationality; he struggles to regain his identity. He becomes hopeless and feels trapped in

his own world since he cannot function normally. Trumbo incorporates flashbacks to describe the childhood experiences of Joe before the war started including his ex-girlfriend Diane.
The war had distorted much of the social structures; fear engulfed the nation and thus people could not carry out their normal activities. Joe is even forced to abandon his romantic life and fight overseas to secure the global peace and liberty. Joes is saddened by the war which had no clear purpose, “Oh Kareen why do they have a war right now just when we find each other? Kareen we've got more important things than war; us Kareen you and me in a house.” Joe has a deep desire to commit suicide as a way of escaping his pain as he is unable to come to terms with the reality. At one point, he tries to suffocate himself to death but to no avail; he had undergone tracheotomy and thus he cannot be able to block his windpipe during his suicide attempts. Joe experiences a profound dilemma; although he wants to end his life, he feels a deep purpose to play a part in restoring global peace. As such, he wishes to display himself to the public as a way of creating awareness of the horrific consequences of World War I. He hopes that by doing so, it would act as a warning and help humanity coexist peacefully.
The primary message covered by this book revolves around condemnation of war; it describes the horrific consequences as a way of creating awareness against the war.

“Johnny Got His Gun” elicits emotions including fear and sorrow and thus enables people to avoid hostilities and violence. For instance, while serving in the military, Joe witnesses severe atrocities against humanity. At one point, he remembers disturbing images of individuals who had been brutally murdered. Thus, he requests his damaged body to be displayed in the public in order to sensitize people on the dangers of war. The book also centers on capitalism and the elements of modern warfare. For instance, the war had led to the class struggle between the poor and the rich. The middle class is deployed on the frontline while the elites order them around. Hence, Joe is a victim of the social oppression since he was deployed into the battlefield unwillingly. For instance, at one point Joe questions the purpose of the war; Joe asks, "What the fight was all about” (Trumbo

24).
I found the book accurate for the larger part; it displays the consequences of World War I including its socioeconomic and political implications. The book is quite interesting because it integrates drama and humor in spite of depicting a society that is broken as a result of the war. World War I had caused great human suffering; many innocent civilians had lost their lives. American soldiers fighting in the battleground overseas were forced to separate with their loved ones. This caused significant physical and emotional pain as described by Trumbo in “Johnny Got His Gun.” Trumbo describes the consequences of the war vividly; for instance, the war-torn bodies and scared faces. The themes presented by Trumbo in “Johnny Got His Gun” are also clear as he states that in spite of fighting in foreign lands, most of the American soldiers including Joe could not comprehend the purpose of the war. The conflict between capitalism and socialism is also well-described in the book. During World War I, the world was torn between the two ideologies. While the West supported capitalism, most countries in the East including eastern Germany incorporated socialism which encouraged autocracy. The biggest takeaway aspect of “Johnny Got His Gun” is the horrific consequences of modern warfare which had caused severe physical and emotional pain. The society endured inhumane treatment as nations turned against one another propagating violence. Innocent people were brutally killed and soldiers were forced to witness horror which had negative psychological effects on them. Most of them including Joe never regained their normal life and they were forced to live with the horror of World War I.