What Makes a Great Soldier?: My Boy Jack

908 Words2 Pages

What makes one a good soldier? When the idea of soldier comes to mind, qualities such as endurance, courage, or integrity are all what people imagine a good soldier to be. In the Movie, My Boy Jack, Jack Kipling is the perfect example of what it means to be a good soldier. Though he was declared unfit by the Navy and Army to serve in the military, he overcomes the many challenges, and struggles he faced, and rose to be the true warrior that him and his father knew he could be. This essay will explore all the characteristics of Jack Kipling that made him a great soldier. In the sequence of scenes, that shows the transformation of Jack as soldier from when he first arrives to the Irish Guards, and the Soldier he becomes before he is promoted to Lieutenant, provides the audience with a great display of his determination, and endurance that contributes to the notion of him being an admirable soldier. When Jack First arrives at the Scottish Guards, the audience is alerted by an upbeat, marching tune of music that is filtered in. The audience hears the yelling of other officers, and the marching of the current soldiers. The tone of the music becomes higher in pitch as Jack rides in on his motorcycle to symbolize the importance of his arrival. The motorcycle signifies how unique he is from all the soldiers. For in this scene, all of the other new beginners are walking in together carrying suitcases, and a few of them are wearing hats. Jack rides in alone, with no bags, no hate, sticking out from everyone else. One soldier even turns his head to look at him as if Jack’s arrival shocks him . It foreshadows to the audience that he is not going to be like anyone else. When Jack removes his motor cycle helmet, he cannot help to show his exc... ... middle of paper ... ...nable, his willingness, endurance, and heart certainly never raised any doubt. The idea of Jack serving in any military was one that many could not picture. His soul, mind, body were all fit for a soldier, however his eyes were not. He could not see anything without his glasses, and both the Army, and the Navy thought it would be of great danger for him to serve. None of this feared Jack, for the moment he got accepted, he showed nothing less of soldier qualities. He was always focused, always determined, and had the heart of a lion at all times. Though many were against Jack serving in the military, he believed in himself, and accomplished the unimaginable. His ability to handle a rifle and wear the Irish Guard uniform did not just make him a great soldier, but his courage, endurance, and determination were all characteristics that truly made Jack a superb soldier.

Open Document