Rhetorical Appeals in the Wounded Warrior Project Advertisements The Wounded Warrior Project recruits the aid of the American public to honor and assist injured veterans of the United States armed forces. Through financial aid, the non-profit organization provides programs for the physical and mental injuries of soldiers with little or no cost to the warriors. The organization also offers support services for the warrior’s family (www.woundedwarriorproject.org). Through advertisements, the Wounded Warrior Project hopes to gain the public’s aid to finance the organization’s programs.
War reporter Ernie Pyle in a eulogy about the aftermath of D-day titled "The Horrible Waste of War" (1944) explains and details the events of D-Day before the beach is cleaned up. In order to communicate the scene before him, Pyle uses a cataloging of images, irony, and imagery. Pyle seeks to write a lasting remembrance of the sacrifice of the soldiers on that beach. In remembering the soldiers, Pyle is cognizant of the interest his audience will have, an audience of Americans, family member, friends, and loved ones. Pyle uses symbolism and repetition to organize his article.
Claims are made throughout the entire documentary by various people surrounding sexual assault in the military. The United States military works around hidden corners to avoid having a bad reputation due to assault or rape, was the first claim made. This is revealed by victims willing to share their stories. They were all told to “stop crying and realize that they brought this onto themselves”by their commanders. Therefore, his gives insight into the larger picture because the commander did not stop the sexual assault nor did they receive empathy after surviving a life changing event.
It is no longer about the actual sequence of events but instead what they meant, how they affected those who were involved. War stories are rarely truthful, according to O’Brien, and he supports this by offering his own. He tells a story told by his comrade Mitchell Sanders. He tells a story of a death in his platoon. He tells a story of the dead man’s best friend, Rat Kiley.
In the book, the chapter “How to Tell a True War Story” sheds light on his aim; this is where O’Brien wrote that it is not hard to tell a “true” war story, all a writer needs to do is add something embarrassing that “happened” to him/her, and people will think it's true. O’Brien shares this idea because if a writer admits
“A thing may happen and be a total lie; another thing may not happen and be truer than the truth” (83). The theme of “happening-truth” versus “story-truth” is a constant opposition Tim O’Brien uses to convey his “true war story” to his audience. Many times in the book The Things They Carried, O’Brien lies to the reader to attempt to give the reader realistic events, so they can relate to the emotions O’Brien felt during the Vietnam war. O’Brien makes it clear in the chapter “Field Trip” that a person who has not been to war cannot comprehend what it was like. He uses a fictional character, Kathleen, to be a stand in for the reader; she is innocent and free from the burden of serving in wartime.
That Stories Tell us about War What do you think Tim O’Brien want his reader to understand about war? He wants his readers to feel an emotional connection to the place that he describes. One of the main things that he wants his readers to feel is emotion. Or the feeling that you have been there.
(page 68). This is why Tim O’Brien writes the way he does. He wants the reader to believe his story and get a sense of what war is truly
The most prominent way O’Brien displays fictional truth is through having fictional characters in each story but the theme and emotions behind the story are real emotions felt in war. O’Brien shows that his stories have fictional characters by having the narrator say, “I did not kill him. But I was present, you see, and my presence was guilt
He purposely started off the book this way so that there would be a distinct connection between the people and the stories. This connection is not as vague as a run of the mill war novel that connects the people, places, and battles they fought. Instead this seems more like a peek into the minds of these soldiers, we get a sense of how they felt and what they were going through. In one chapter, O’Brien talks about stories. He states, "Stories are for joining the past to the future.
For example, in the story "The Man I Killed," O’Brien describes the killing of a young Vietnamese soldier by one of his fellow soldiers. While the "Happening Truth" of the story is that a man was killed, the "Story Truth" is the emotional weight that the killing carries, both for the soldier who committed the act and for the narrator himself. By exploring these emotional and psychological realities, O’Brien is able to create a more nuanced and complex portrayal of the Vietnam War and its impact on those who lived through
When you consider the thought of war what is the first thing that pops into your head? A few may conclude of the people fighting for our freedom. Others may envision of the happiness and joyful atmosphere after the war has ended. Some others may even try to grasp what may be happening during this conflict. The numerous people after the war were left homeless, starving, and victims of these hostilities.
In the book O’Brien uses imagery, figurative language and repetition to put across his message. His purpose for the story telling, is to clear his conscience of war and to tell the stories of soldiers who were forgotten by society. The narrator was against the war. In The Things They Carried.
“An Episode of War” depicts a soldier’s life during the Civil War Era immaculately. From the harsh meal conditions, to the overwhelmed realization of tragedy, it is realistically historical down to a point. It gives the audience some “backstage knowledge” of how the routine of a soldier in early American history actually was. Back then, during the Civil War where the story was set, there were not many treatments that didn’t later on result in amputation/infection, or even death. So, when the Lieutenant was shot unexpectedly and told to go to the infirmary, he knew no matter what the doctor told him to keep him remaining calm, something drastic was bound to occur.
“How to Tell a True War Story” and “Ambush” are stories that both explore on topics: truth, the real definition of a true war story, and the role of truth. O 'Brien starts off “How to Tell a True War Story” with “This is true.” Starting this story with such a bold sentence not only makes it seem more true, but to some extent, it acts as a comfort statement to the narrator’s own doubts, as if there were unspeakable uncertainties and lies of the narrator. The title of this story also comes into play, with a meta-fictional name “How to Tell a True War Story”, as if it were a guide, a manual, having a true war story tell the readers how to tell a true war story. However ironically, towards the middle of the story, us as
