Hacksaw Ridge Themes

Almost every person knows someone who has served in a war, whether it may be a sibling, a parent, or a friend. After an individual comes back from their service in a war, he or she usually has changed as a person, either positively, or most of the time negatively. In All The Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr shows through characters seeing death, characters that are not in combat, and characters that are soldiers in war, that war impacts individuals negatively, despite their backgrounds and differences.

There is one scene where the three flag raisers entered a crowded stadium before a football game which typified how an image of war can be so different to the reality of war. The flash photography, the cheering, the roar of the crowd all went to John Bradley’s head and he had flash backs of the fighting on Iwo Jima and the genuine heroes that he had left behind. This scene contrasts what the reality of war, were all the men are dug in and fighting for there life, and the images of war. Ira Hayes says “I know it’s a good thing, raising the money and that, ‘cause we need it. But, I can’t take them calling me a hero. All I did was try not to get shot. Some of the things I saw done, things I did, they weren’t things to be proud of, you know?” Clint Eastwood shows continuously, through his characters physiology shows how one single photo can be so different what really makes up the battle of Iwo Jima. The aim was to get war bonds; the minds of the three main characters through Clint Eastwood’s directing showed a strong insight to how the reality of a war and an image of war can be so contrasting.

Most people know about the attacks on Pearl Harbor but very few know about how it affected the lives of Japanese-Americans living on the islands. In the novel, Under the Blood-Red Sun, the author Graham Salisbury tells a story from the perspective of Tomikazu Nakaji, a young Japanese-American boy and his struggles with racism and becoming the man of his family. After the attack, the suspicions and biased racism of the non-immigrant Americans is raised, which lead to the wrongful arrests of Tomikazu's father and grandfather. This resulted with him having to get a job, take care of his family, and deal with the constant bullying of his neighbor, Keet Wilson. In the end, he manages to maintain the tasks his father had assigned him with the help of his friends. This book showed me the importance of friendship, honor, and persistence.

In the United States World War II has been one of the most remembered wars of all time. Acclaimed historian Ronald Takaki asserts that for many Americans, World War II was fought for a “double victory”: on the battlefront as well as on the home front. Takaki’s book Double Victory: A Multicultural History of America in World War II reminds the audience that there was much, much more happening at home and on the frontlines during World War II than in the battlefield. Takaki presents a strong central argument; it illuminates the incongruity of America's own oppressive behavior toward minorities at home, even while proclaiming the role in World War II as a fight against oppression abroad. It also pays tribute to the determination and perseverance of ethnically diverse Americans in their two-front war against prejudice and fascism. In addition Takaki tells the story through the lives of ethnically diverse Americans: Japanese Americans who felt betrayed by their own country when families were sent to internment camps; For African Americans, the war for freedom had to be fought in their country’s own backyard; a Navajo code talker who uses his complex native language to transmit secret battle messages and confound the Japanese, while his people are living in desperate poverty on a government reservation. Their dual struggle to defeat the enemy abroad and overcome racism at home gives the Double Victory its title and its texture.

Not every man who 's fought in a war planned on doing so. In fact, not all of them even want to. It 's rare to find enough people voluntarily willing to lay down their lives for their country, so more often than not militaries used what we would call “citizen soldiers.” Citizen soldiers are exactly what they sound like, regular citizens taken from society and turned into people capable of serving in the military. Although it may seem obvious when plainly written out, citizen soldiers had vastly different experiences compared to career soldiers, and Stephen Ambrose attempted to pin down that specific experience in his book Citizen Soldier. Ambrose uses oral interviews from World War II veterans and other materials to explain the experiences of the common American soldier who served in WWII between D-Day and the eventual surrender of the German forces. However, when examining his book, it 's important to ask how successful Ambrose was in painting an accurate picture of this kind of soldier 's life during his service. Is the information he uses specific to the men who served in Europe, or can it also be linked back to the soldiers in the Pacific? This paper will evaluate his work by comparing it to oral interviews from WWII veterans both from the same areas that Ambrose 's veterans serve in and in locations not included in his work.

A big theme and point in Tim O'Brien’s novel is how many situations hurt the soldiers’ lives. From the beginning, O'Brien starts his work by numbering the many things soldiers have to carry; Knives, guns, pictures, and some feelings and trust issues they had with their family before leaving for war. O'Brien tells us and explains how each soldier was hurting, and how it was for them to get use to the war and the environment they were in, as he says; “Jimmy Cross did not want the responsibility of leading these men. He had never wanted it.” (167). In this quote, O'Brien reveals how tough it was for Lieutenant Cross to have this responsibility in the war. O'Brien contemplated over and over again, trying to decide if he wanted to go to war and if it was for him or not. He has seen it as something he couldn’t do. More the less, they saw the war as irrelevant nonsense at times.

“Flags of Our Fathers” is a book by Author, James Bradley. Bradley tells the true American account of great valor and courage of five United States Marines and one United States Navy Corpsman. On a small rocky island south of Japan. As well as the power of a photograph that wreaked havoc with the lives of everyone in it and influenced the course of a war. He follows the six men who fought on “Sulfur Island” in the Battle of Iwo Jima during the Pacific phase of World War II. One of the bloodiest and brutal military engagements in American history lasting only thirty six days. James Bradley is the son of John Bradley, the Navy Corpsman and a member of Third Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines during the amphibious invasion when they

With the arrival of WWII came the arrival of change. Jeanne Wakatsuki’s memoir, Farewell to Manzanar illustrates the countless struggles that Japanese Americans faced during World War II. Distrust among the white Americans and Japanese Americans was at an all time high due to the war in the Pacific Ocean with Japan. With the American government encouraging wartime propaganda, the Japanese were dehumanized and ultimately forced to move into internment camps. Farewell to Manzanar explores the resilience of the human nature by illustrating the struggle of prejudice in a WWII era America.

Desmond T. Doss, war hero of War World II. The amazing unarmed medic, who saved the lives of seventy-five men on Okinawa in 1945.And became the first conscientious objector to receive the medal of honor. Frances Doss, author of Desmond Doss: The Conscientious Objector, which is Desmond Doss wife, who wrote the book in his honor. In this essay, I will include the summary, authors purpose, audience, and narrative quality to provide a rhetorical analysis on Doss's book.

John Dower's "Embracing Defeat" truly conveys the Japanese experience of American occupation from within by focusing on the social, cultural, and philosophical aspects of a country devastated by World War II. His capturing of the Japanese peoples' voice let us, as readers, empathize with those who had to start over in a "new nation."

Desmond Doss is one of the most famous U.S conscientious objector in all of U.S military service history. Desmond Doss is known for his brave work at Hacksaw Ridge in Okinawa by single handily saving 75 men by means of carrying them and by manoeuvring them down with his unique rope technique which earned him the medal of honour in October the 12th 1945. Therefore making him the first ever conscientious objector in U.S military history to receive the award. Desmond Doss’s legacy has been shown throughout the ages in television, documentaries and now in the latest 2016 movie entitled Hacksaw Ridge after the real life spot in Okinawa. The movie depicts the true story of U.S serviceman and conscientious objector Desmond Doss in his journey to Hacksaw Ridge. At First Desmond Doss was not fond of people making films or being portrayed in any sort of media because of the inaccuracies that these films might would portray of him because he was deeply focused on his religion and as a seventh day Adventist. But an agreement was soon with him and his firm.

The main character of this story is Desmond Doss. Desmond Doss is a Conscientious Objector and he decided to join the Army to serve his country. But since he was a Conscientious Objector he promised to himself that he would never touch a gun. While in boot camp he was mistreated by his sergeant and fellow soldiers for his belief. He later trained to become a Combat medic to help his fellow soldiers because he did not want to carry a gun. Before he got deployed he met Dorthy were he got married to her before going to Japan. While over there they attacked the ridge of Okinawa known as Hacksaw Ridge. Most men that were deployed of there were killed trying to take the ridge to gain a foothold in Okinawa, Japan. He was most well known for his action upon the ridge. He saved over 75 lives while not touching a single gun. After he saved another man he would say “Please lord let me get one more.” He ended up gaining the respect and adoration of the men he served alongside. At the end of the movie he was awarded the first purple heart for a Consensus Objector. Also because of his work inspiring the other soldiers they were able to take the ridge.

In the film Hacksaw Ridge, Andrew Garfield portrays Desmond Doss a WWII American Army Medic who served during the Battle of Okinawa. The film takes you through his entire childhood and threw his difficult experiences in the Army as well as his upbringing and how this shaped his views, especially his religious view and anti-killing stance. You also see Doss's trials and difficulties after enlisting in the Army and trying to become a medic. And last but not least the film takes you through the harsh battle that Doss and his fellow soldiers undergo.

Space Battleship Yamato (1977) and The Silent Services (1988-1996) are both films that ‘rehabilitate’ Japan’s experience of World War II as they re-tell or imagine alternative histories or fictional stories that rehabilitate past trauma (namely their humiliating defeat of WWII and a sense of loss of masculinity to the U.S.-Japan alliance and what came corollary with it). Such narratives can be interpreted as expressing what contemporary Japan desires. The narrative of each film is reflected by the context of the time of its production (cold-war vs. post-cold war) and whilst the narratives of SBY and SS share similarities they differ in their depth of political discussions, conveyed messages and explicitness due to the constraints of post-war democracy, pacifism and U.S. relation. Relevant concepts are militarism, nationalism, anti-war messages, anti-US messages, pacifism, masculinity and patriotism and many of these co-exist in each respective film – the films try to reconcile them by ending with a lasting impression that justifies the aggression for the sake of world peace.

In the movie Hacksaw Ridge it did helped me understand to topic of the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. The movie helped me picture the historical portrayal of Private Doss saving each and every soldier that fought in the war. Is showed the way he was strong saving them and also for keeping his faith in God throughout his position in the military. Doss had enlisted as a medic and refused to carry a rifle. In reality there are men in the military that refuse to pick up a rifle due to them having a promise with God and/or obey the 10 commandments. I understand it better after the movie because of them showing how he did it saving the soldiers in the hacksaw ridge, the reaction of the soldiers when the captains ordered him to pick up a rifle, and how the Japanese quickly killed them as soon as they saw them. Throughout the movie I just thought first how strong he was to go back and save any soldier that was alive because nobody now a day has the guts to do that and second to keep his faith and promise with god. Also for his dad not accepting Doss and his brother to join the army, and the still joined to protect their country. The movie Red Tails showed me that it doesn’t matter what color, heritage, or male/female you can do anything. It was the Tuskegee Airmen that were African Americans that were servicemen during the World War II. Ever men had a hard time trying to do their job and to fit it even though there was hard times to do that in the same time. In today’s world