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.
Additionally, O’Brien returns to the theme of the influence of others when describing Cross’s experiences. O’Brien touches upon the ideal by utilizing Jimmy Cross as a prime example. According to the passage, Cross was never destined to be a commanding officer in the U.S. military. Cross essentially joined the commanding officer program as a result of his friends peer pressuring him to enroll and for a few credits without acknowledging the repercussions of his actions in pursuing the war. Jimmy Cross now resents his ill decision as he endures Hell in Vietnam, especially after taking responsibility over Kiowa’s death. This ideal is significant and prominent as it reflects the basis and justification for many soldiers who enlisted in the army, which is due to the influence of others. This is a recurring ideal, which is evident in “On the Rainy River” where O’Brien is ultimately persuaded into pursuing the war as a result of a mirage portraying his loved ones cheering him to enlist in the war.
What is it about heroes that make them who they are? The Australian history is full of gallant, dauntless people who have a great deal of perseverance. Ned Kelly was a remarkable man, he was bold, brave, astonishing and saved those who were in need. The novel ‘Black Snake-the Daring of Ned Kelly’ reveals a man who stood up for the good and against the bad; he at no time ever took from the poor only the rich. Ned Kelly had a quite a few times to show his malevolent side but chose to lead his life into the light not the dark.
Nothing in life is permanent, everything one day will have to change. A basic necessity of life, change is the fuel that keeps our society moving. In the novel Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain, a fourteen-year-old boy gifted in craftsmanship, experiences changes in all aspects of his life. From a crippled hand to fighting against the British for his country's independence, war transforms Johnny Tremain from a selfish child into a patriotic hero. As the war relentlessly continues, Johnny learns the effects that it has on him as he must focus on the real issue rather than centering around his individual concerns. By reading this novel, we can learn from Johnny how in times of conflict, young men like him must mature into men who
One of the most overlooked aspects in the life of a soldier is the weight of the things they carry. In Tim O'Brien's story, "The Things They Carried," O'Brien details the plight of Vietnam soldiers along with how they shoulder the numerous burdens placed upon them. Literally, the heavy supplies weigh down each soldier -- but the physical load imposed on each soldier symbolizes the psychological baggage a soldier carries during war. Though O'Brien lists the things each soldier carries, the focal point centers around the leader, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, and his roles in the war. Lt. Cross has multiple burdens, but his emotional baggage is the most pressing. Of all the weights burdened upon Lt. Cross, the heaviest baggage is located in his own mind. Specifically, the heaviest things Lt. Cross carries are an emotional obsession over Martha's love, the physical consequences caused by his daydreaming of Martha, and an unrelenting guilt about Ted Lavender's death.
The military is symbolic for Adults because it is the only thing that keeps people from turning evil in society. So as soon as the officer arrives the boys go from savages to civilized boys again. Ralph says that his father is commander in the
After he goes to ride the soldier, he his flung from his back and actually sees the soldier, “a face that lack a lower jaw – from upper teeth to the throat was a great red gap fringed with hanging shreds of flesh and splinters of bone.” (Bierce 44). This is the first glimpse the boy comprehends of the true devastation of war. And at this point the child has his first rational reaction,“terrified at last, ran to a tree near by, got upon the farther side of it and took a more serious view of the situation.” (Bierce 44). The author is using the childes revelation of the violence in war to introduce to his readers the devastation of
Billy was not dressed as a soldier should be, lacking a helmet, an overcoat, a weapon, and boots. In fact, “He didn’t look like a soldier at all. He looked like a filthy flamingo” (33). Much like other children sent into the war, Billy was not prepared for what he would face. To other soldiers he seems laughable, a joke on the face of the entire army, but all other soldiers are as unprepared as Billy. Billy’s comical appearance acts as a symbol of his placement in the war; in other words, a scrawny, unprepared soldier is absurd during wartime.
Colonel Shaw, son of wealthy. He was 23 years old when he enlisted to fight in the War between the States. He is a very honored man and he constantly writes letters to his family. When Colonel Shaw went to war he had to realize how brutal war really was. When he fought in the Battle of Antietam, He was exposed to watching his men fall. But still he showed bravery, because he would yell to go forward when ev...
When people think of words that describe a great leader, people often think of words such as brave, determined, fearless, and confident. However, this isn’t fully true in Tim Obrien’s book The Things They Carried. Instead of being someone that troops count on to get home safely, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was an imitation of a hero. Horner describes a hero as a person who has “rational control over the emotion of fear or doubt; strengthen, that is of the gifted athlete and military wizard; appropriate aggression fed by a competitive spirit, full of pitch confidence to win against overwhelming odds; and utter loyalty to duty, God, country, family, and his friends are the classic hero." In the beginning, Jimmy Cross didn’t have any of these qualities
O’Brien has many characters in his book, some change throughout the book and others +are introduced briefly and change dramatically during their time in war and the transition to back home after the war. The way the characters change emphasises the effect of war on the body and the mind. The things the boys have to do in the act of war and “the things men did or felt they had to do” 24 conflict with their morals burning the meaning of their morals with the duties they to carry out blindly. The war tears away the young’s innocence, “where a boy in a man 's body is forced to become an adult” before he is ready; with abrupt definiteness that no one could even comprehend and to fully recover from that is impossible.
...es “behaving like his hero from his youth.” while he was at the river to describe his thought and feeling and why he did decided to go to war rather than run away. His thought of going to war was, so he does not be guilty man in front of his family and friends. In either way the people you met throughout your life has always influence to build your moral character and your personal understanding of self.
The New York Times Bestseller We Were Soldiers Once... And Young was authored by Lt. General Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway. In November 1965, Lt. Colonel Harold Moore commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th cavalry at the Ia Drang Valley-one of the bloodiest battles of Vietnam. He eventually retired from the Army in 1977 after thirty-two years of service. After his military career, Lieutenant General Moore resided as executive vice president for four years at a Colorado ski resort before founding a computer software company. Harold Moore currently lives in Auburn, Alabama and Crested Butte, Colorado.
character was supported by the power of World War II. Jack, on the other hand,
Being a good soldiers also required you to, follow the rules, follow orders, obey the code of conducts, look out for your fellow comrades, fulfill your duty requirement, being honest and fight for your country. In other words, a soldier must be committed. Committed to their work, the nation, the mission, their fellow servicemen and their unit. With these characteristics, a soldier can become successful.
It is an unspoken assumption that when a country goes to war the men fighting are honored and also that there is a large amount of support given to the soldiers from that particular community. What is often over-looked is the fact that many of the men, who are partaking in battle, are in fact, boys who do not even know what they are fighting for. Also, the community is not always supportive and helpful unless they see a personal benefit that will affect them in a positive way as an outcome of the war. In “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death”, Yeats introduces us to a man who is fighting in the war, not knowing what he is fighting for. Yeats also shows us, from a soldier’s view point, how a soldier feels while defending a country he does not feel any loyalty to, and how a soldier views the community he is laying his life on the line to protect.