Johnny Got His Gun

A detailed Summary of Johnny Got His Gun

People always say it's the little things that we take for granted. Whether it be

being able to talk with someone, or hold someone, or even just being able to tell what

time of day it is. In Dalton Trumbos' novel, "Johnny Got His Gun", one really begins to

understands what it would be like to have very simple things taken away from them.

Joe Bonhame, finds himself tragically injured from the war. Over time he slowly

begins to realize all of the things that he has lost. The first thing that he loses is his

hearing. "He was awake even though he couldn't hear a thing except a telephone that

wasn't ringing. He was mighty scared"(p9). At first Joe doesn't realize that he has lost

his hearing and he is under the impression that there is actually a phone ringing

somewhere, but, it's really only in his mind. But once he realizes that he actually can't

hear anything at all, he goes into a state of shock almost. "The shock caused his heart

to smash against his ribs. He grew prickly all over. His heart was pounding away in his

chest but he couldn't hear the pulsing in his ear"(p10). He then begins to think about all

the things that he will never again get to experience. At first he thinks about all the bad

have to deal with hearing again. "He never wanted to

whole went too high to have any eyes in it. He was blind"(p62). At this point Joe had no

is time."All that he knew was that on a day in September in 1918 time stopped"(p126).

while the idea of trapping time and himself back into the world but he hadn't been able

communicating to the entire world; to everything he knew. "He was lonely for one look

everything for his father, but yet his father wasn't upset. "But he just lay there in bed

and he goes after it and doesn't let his physical disabilities hold him back. All the reader

idea what to do. "He was the nearest thing to a dead man on earth"(p117). There was

base of his throat just below where his jaw should be and went upward in a widening

wasn't even awake at all. "The whole idea had been taking form in his head for a long

does. The thing that Joe seems to lose in between his concieus and unconcieus states,

he wants to hear again. "His mother was singing the kitchen. He could hear her singing

circle. He could feel his skin creeping around the rim of the circle. The hole was getting

him losing his fathers fishing rod. When he lost that rod it was like he had lost

Approximate Word count = 964
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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