You are on page 1of 2

Amy Mach Dr.

Sarah Minslow LBST 2212 3 December 2011

Reflection on What We Learned One major aspect of societys progression through history has been war. War involves the two or more sides of an ethical and cultural debate. While one leader has to make the decision to act on war; within the United States citizens make the decision to fight in this war or to protest against it. As we have studied war from different aspect in this class Ive broadened my thoughts on what war comprises of and how it can have an influence of society. While I was in elementary school, at the age of 9 sitting in a third grade I was so unaware of war until news broke out that two planes were hijacked and hit the World Trade center. It struck me how important it was to be aware of what war was and how it could happen. My first thought of what war was; a physical and governmental conflict between two nations, however over the past ten years its gotten to a deeper perspective of mental and emotional instability. As weve read memoirs, novels, picture books and a play on war Ive noticed the different elements that are included in the act of war. There are so many different contributing factors to war, the combat zone, the citizens, the soldiers, and the government that act in important roles of war. When the memoir Love My Rifle More Than You was assigned I immediately was hooked by Williams blunt and forward narrative dynamic. I think she really allowed me to look inside the rough exterior of what war can hold inside. She let me in as a reader on how different

a soldiers life is than a citizens life, how no one can really come back from what theyve experiences and the ways culture of another country can be enlightening instead of threatening. When Williams discusses her thoughts on the interrogation she witnessed I was able to get a look into how violence can really be brought out from war. Mirroring this observation is Wiesels Night, while he experiences war as a captive against his will he struggles against survival and the harsh brutality of what war can do so people. In my mind, I felt as though I forget the violence that war can bring. It is just a conflict with opposing issues, even though there are people constantly being bystanders while I viewed war as a reoccurring constant in history. Although war is often seen as a forceful and with power driven motive I think that now I still view war similarly to the way I used to. I see it as a conflict raised on grounds of power and disagreement. War has been initiated on terms of opposing religious beliefs, ownership of land and underhanded attacks. I feel as if these reasons for war are so dangerous in terms of fighting over because its a conflict that cannot be handled in matters of conversation or negotiating but in years of fighting, retaliation and sometimes treaties. I think now I see all the fibers that can make up war. Even now that I am an adult and can understand what Im witnessing within war I still find threads that have me pondering on the topic. Its a concept that will inevitably be a part of history as it made its tracks in the past and leads to an unknown path in the future.

You might also like