Johnny Got His Gun 'And Shenandoah'

As long as humans have walked the earth people have asked what the point in their lives and hard work was when it is ultimately lost anyway. Joseph Bonham from Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo and Charlie Anderson from the movie Shenandoah by James Lee Barrett are both forced to ask this question themselves when they suddenly lose everything they had worked for in the space of just one single day. In Johnny Got His Gun Joe Bonham is the main character. The setting begins with this man lying down in a hospital bed after having lost all of his limbs, eyesight, hearing, and ability to taste. With the only thing left being his mind Joe walks us through his entire childhood, detailing everything he had looked forward to in his life and how he

Each grows and works to create a life worth living. Joe Bonham does this throughout his childhood, learning and growing as a person. First he is taught what a healthy family looks like by observing his own family, “It was snowy and cold outside but the living room was always very snug and the pot-bellied coal-burning stove would be glowing a warm dusty red around its base.” (Trumbo, 200). This passage shows the reader that Joe had a very positive, warm, and safe childhood. Joseph saw and learned from his own family, and this nurturement showed him what he wanted for his future with a family of his own. He continued building his ideas and goals for the future as he matured and grew older. As with any growing man, Joe eventually began pay attention to and date girls. He talked to them, flirted with them, and dated them. He learned what he liked and didn’t like in a woman. He learned what it meant to love and be loved, but with this he learned of pain. “It seemed like dying to think he would never see her again [. . .]” (Trumbo, 53). For Joe this first heartbreak came with a newfound understanding of the world and what it might take to face it. The young man was upset but he moved on and he continued searching for someone he could build a future with. Right before he is drafted to war, Joe finds this woman in Kareen. He knows what kind of a life he wants, he knows who he wants to live it with, and all he

Joe lost his entire future, and Charlie lost everything he had ever worked for. However, these two men connect and relate to each other in so many ways beyond just their circumstances. Both men felt, reacted, and thought the same way. They were both forced to give up on their goals, and their futures. Joe Bonham and Charlie Anderson share very similar stories, and both are tales of woe and hardship. However, there are distinct themes and messages to learn from the both of them. Joe Bonham teaches one to guard life, he shows how if one is not careful everything can be lost in the blink of an eye. He teaches prevention, that one needs to be weary of their sacrifice. Charlie teaches the importance of recovery. Even though it is quite clear that he gave up and surrendered just like Joe- Charlie composed himself and moved on. He shows that even when one part of life comes crashing down- other people still need support. Siblings still need their brothers. Spouses still need their partners. Children still need their parents. Charlie demonstrates in the end that one must stand strong for his family. Even though He quit and lost and gave up and will never recover, he shows how to move on for others sake as well. Joe and Charlie’s stories were similar, both of woe and hardship and loss, and still they both teach different yet invaluable lessons. Every person is