The Cost Of War Quotes

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War for centuries has separated families from one another and pitted regular young men, all for the reason of supposed glory that comes with victory. However, even through these tough situations, humans' sense of empathy and emotion shine through, with acts of compassion demonstrated on the battlefield adding to the moral sense of soldiers as they develop the understanding of how every life is valued on and off the battlefield. The narrative “The Cost of War: Letters from the Homefront” by Tom Engelhardt provides great insight into this concept as it provides real letters sent in by worried mothers and fathers about their children who have been sent into war. The narrative is mainly built around the first letter coming from Teri Willis Allison, …show more content…

The author then goes on to describe the degree to which this war is affecting her life by explaining how she lives in constant dread of the thought that one day her son could be one of the hundred coming home injured or dead. For example, after talking about the number of soldiers already killed or injured by the war, Mrs. Allison points out how lucky she is that her son is still safe and how every death affects her as she knows she is “...not immune to that knock on my door either” (The costs of war...). This demonstrates the severity war has on the people, creating a stronger emphasis on the value of humanity as a whole as everyone wishes to see their kids back home safely. A similar comparison can be drawn from All Quiet on the Western Front with Paul’s mother upon his return home during leave. Upon returning home, Paul is met by his ill-stricken mother who, upon seeing him, asks anxiously “Are you wounded?” (Remarque 158). A simple sentence that conveys strong emotions by demonstrating the effect of which Paul going to war had on the mother, thus representing how war can create a stronger emphasis on the value of human

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