Differences And Similarities Between The Movie 'Starship Troopers'

In Starship Troopers the novel and Starship Troopers the movie there were many instances of significant alienation. These instances of alienation were primarily exhibited by the main character, Johnny Rico. From the standpoint of a reader or viewer, this theme of alienation could be delegated between several categories. These categories consist of alienation resolved from choices between family members, alienation involved with confrontation with higher authorities, and the alienation exhibited from a soldier’s civilian counterparts. Whether the instances designated in these categories share a similarity or difference between the book and movie adaptation, they are compared through the lens of Johnny Rico. Thus, Starship Troopers the book and

In Starship Troopers the movie, Johnny’s parents expressed vast disappointment in his decision to join the military. This created a sense of alienation for Johnny, as he felt that his parents did not understand or support his decision. This was evident as his dad kept reinforcing the idea that he should rather become a doctor or someone with high social standing in society. He felt conflicting alienation because he deeply cared about his parents and their approval, but at the same time, he also had a strong desire to serve his country and join the miliary. Equivalently, in the book, Johnny came from a relatively affluent background, and his parents are shown to also highly discourage Johnny’s decision to enlist in the military. When Johnny told his father of his desire to join the military, his father showed similar signs of anger and disappointment. His father similarly noted: “this family has stayed out of politics and cultivated its own garden for over a hundred years – I see no reason for you to break that fine record” which reinforces his desire to control his son. This created a sense of alienation for Johnny, as he felt that his father completely disregarded his values and will to serve his country. Overall, the examples of Johnny’s parent’s disapproval in the novel and

Dubois in the novel and Sgt. Zim in the movie. In the novel, specifically chapter 8, Mr. Dubois accused Johnny of being a sadist for paddling a puppy that didn’t understand right and wrong. Feeling alienated and frustrated, johnny retorted that he had to: it’s the physical punishment itself that teaches the dog what’s expected. Johnny felt alienated in this circumstance because when discussing a serious topic such as murder, addiction, and criminality he believed that his opinion and thoughts deserved to be respected. Contrastingly, in Starship Troopers the movie, Johnny’s drill sergeant Zim took the time to listen to what Johnny had to say. After impressing Sgt. Zim and getting promoted to squad leader, it was evident that Sgt. Zim was willing to respect Johnny’s opinions and mitigate any alienation Johnny could feel from their interaction. One example of Sgt. Zim’s motives was during a mistake that took place during a training exercise when Johnny accidentally killed a fellow squad mate, resulting in his demotion and flogging. When discussing the future of Johnny’s life in the military between Sgt. Zim and a higher-ranking officer, Sgt. Zim was ready to hear out Johnny’s thoughts and requests. As a result, Johnny was put back into duty and Sgt. Zim showed clear compassion and will