What is the social context? In SOF the main character, “Birdy” Perry, is faced with the inhumane aspects of war. For Birdy and his unit the war becomes a humanitarian mission, where he attempts to reason with the locals as well as volunteer for basic medical treatment. He is surrounded by death and tragedy. Birdy describes seeing the tragedies first hand, “I don't want to see them. When I look I see that the dead are not like human beings anymore.” (Myers 127) He becomes desensitized as he witnesses the atrocities of war. He sees unnecessary death, he sees their willingness to kill and harm children, and he sees senseless killings by rebel groups attempting to kill Americans. So as the story progresses he becomes mentally numb yet aware. Additionally, he sees social inequalities in Iraqi culture as well as military culture. He watches as women are mistreated and viewed as inferior by their husbands or male figures in Iraq. As well, he sees the militaries prejudice towards women’s role in the armed forces. …show more content…
By some in the region it is seen as a “good” thing to give your life in order to kill others. As well as to undermine the female sex and to view them as inferior. This diluted state of mind is due to extremist views of their religion. Religion plays a vital role in the book as this is the guiding force for the overwhelming majority of the population. As when Jamil is asked what Iraq’s true goal is he states, “We want to live in peace and worship Allah in peace.” (Myers 121) The culture they desire is one of peace. The look to religion as their source of guidance in such tough times. While this is similar to man in the U.S, the Iraqis tend to have more radical views on issues such as leaving the religion. Many in Iraq view a reasonable punishment for leaving the religion to be death. These extreme view culminated with the war-torn region create a culture of disrepair in many