The effects of War and Violence
Throughout society's history, war and violence have been a way to show the power of pride and knowledge. After seeing the terror and complexities of war, one might find other ways to show these characteristics. I plan to demonstrate for an audience of peers and professors how the works of Liam O'Flaherty, and Ralph Ellison convey realism and power when showing the effects of violence and war usually due to conflicts of interest in racial and ethnic issues. The lives of the characters, in the pieces written by these authors, were effected indefinitely. "The soulless eyes look up at me, once were bright and full of love.Battles fought for untold reasons,Stripped the body of life within, His torn, scarred face stares at the sky, Excepting only death to fall from the blackening clouds. With my father and brothers being soldiers of the United States Army, war and violence is a constant threat to our family. There is always the question of when they will be called off to defend our country by risking their lives in the line of duty. What causes war and violence? A German-American philosopher believes that
The fear of not being accepted is a war in its self. The character in "Battle Royal," by Ralph Ellison gets involved in a boxing match involving nine others African American boys. The goal in this battle is to be the last man standing. Racial violence and ignorance is a daily ritual and reality for the African Americans at this time. The battle is a combination of physical and emotional violence. The character endures this activity in order to be able to read his speech to prove his level of education. The boy wants to prove to the elite white men in town that he is the "smartest boy...in Greenwood." A German philosopher once said, "A snake that does not shed its skin will perish." The young man shed his skin in the literal sense by engaging himself in a battle that would only lead to black eyes, broken bones, and blood. But more importantly, he shed his metaphorical skin of fear of being accepted. He fights a war against the other boys in the fight, the elite white man, and with himself. The two stories exemplify the realities of war and violence in the lives of two very brave men. The sniper and the young African American boy both risk their lives to prove themselves. Each tried to define a characteristic of themselves by performing dangerous acts. The sniper showed his power to take the life of another in his line of duty and the boy risked his own life to prove his
Some common words found in the essay are:
United Army, African American, Liam O'Flaherty, Ralph Ellison, Greenwood German, African Americans, , war violence, elite white, shed skin, ralph ellison, fear accepted, line duty, liam o'flaherty, african american, broken bones,
Approximate Word count = 940
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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