The Thinker “He was a dead man with a mind that could still think. He knew all the answers that the dead knew and couldn't think about. He could speak for the dead because he was one of them. He was the first of all the soldiers who had died since the beginning of time, who still had a brain left to think with” (52). This quote expertly explains the story, a man left with nothing, he is only able to comprehend his current situation. He is forced to relive his past memories. He is unable to experience things as he once did, he is similar to a VHS constantly on rewind. In the story of Johnny Got his gun, The book focusses in on the life of a young man named Joe Bonham, who had suffered a horrifying tragedy when he was in fighting …show more content…
The book recounts his life and what he has experienced, the book transitions between then and now, and the hardships he faces living his life. Dalton Trumbo is effecting at portraying the tragedies of war. He relies on the story of Joe Bonham, and the emotional and physical struggles he faces, throughout the story. To start off, Joe Bonhams’ Physical state is affected by the war. The war had left him with nothing, when he finally regains consciousness, he discovers that he has been tethered to his hospital bed. He discovers that his limbs had been amputated, most of his face he was left without. Joe cannot speak, nor can he hear, the only mode of communication he has is, a choppy version of Morse code, where he uses every ounce of his strength he has left, to tap out a message with his head. Additionally, Joe's emotional state is affected by war. Joe is only able to relive his past, in his mind. He remembers the wonderful times he had experienced in his life before the incident , where he would visit the girl he fell in love with. He remembered his life, even further back, to his childhood, where he would play with children from around his neighborhood. On the other hand, he would also remember the mistakes he has made in life, the people he