johnny_ got _his_ gun

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Trumbo’s argument about war in chapter 10
Trumbo uses Joe, an American soldier who had been wounded beyond the impossible the impossible and as he lies in his hospital bed totally immobile and helpless thinks back on his life and to some extend criticizes the actions that led him to his present situation and the reason why he didn’t object joining the war. He thinks of ‘liberty’ how vague the term ‘liberty’ is, he thinks how it is not concrete and how foolish it is to fight for something that isn’t existing and that life is more significant than the idea of dying for liberty. He further thinks of ‘freedom’ and whether fighting and war is the only solution it can be achieved (Trumbo, 50). He thinks of areas that got their democracy and freedom without necessarily fighting, places like Canada, Australia and the American Revolution in 1776.
Next, he focuses on words used to entice people to engage into war. Words like ‘independence’, ’native land’ words which don’t actually refer to anything abstract of what good is it to preserve independence and native land and ending up dying in the process? He further wonders how some people get others into fighting yet they themselves do not get in the battlefield and when they are wounded and helpless they deny them the right of being recognized and end up dying in mystery (Trumbo, 70). He also criticizes the people who pretend to speak for the dead as they try to convince young people to get into war yet the dead do not speak and they can’t tell whether they are happy for what they died for.

Basing on Joe’s arguments it is evident that the soldiers and the people who engage in war do not have good reasons and have been blinded by the belief that war is the only way to solve conflicting issue instead of using other peaceful methods to solve or liberate themselves and their people.
Description of the persona and how Trumbo crafts him to make his arguments more effective
The persona, Joe Bonham is a young soldier who in the process of fighting gets harmed and loses his arms and legs and he lies in his hospital bed totally helpless as he effortlessly tries to make the world acknowledge his existence warning people not to involve themselves in war or else they end up being like him.
Trumbo uses him in his novel to show the effects of war and also he uses it metaphorically as a Christ-like symbol. In Joe’s visions, he thinks of Christ as someone who signals death in the battlefield as to he puts him and the soldiers who go to war in the name of saving their people, gaining independence and retaining their native land. Trumbo uses them as symbols of sacrifice as redemption elements whose fate is death (Trumbo, 55).The image of Christ crucified on the cross with nails on arms and legs is brought about through Joe’s loss of arms and legs and that redemption comes with suffering for the subjects involved.
The author also uses Joe as an anti-war symbol in that when soldiers go to war and survive they are denied the freedom to show themselves off as this may reduce the morale of the young who are being encouraged to join the war as they will be afraid to end up in the same fate. This is also ironical in that somewhere there is someone in power who knows this too, and he knows that Joe showing off would be a bad morale thus he ends up being denied justice hence the world may never know the effects of war.
Stream of consciousness and the powerful effects
A stream of consciousness has been used several times to drive Trumbo’s key purposes in the novel to show the effects of war to those involved and the conditions they are left in at the end of it all.
When Joe at times panics he would repeat things over and over again in order to gain his consciousness and to be sure of his being. The words, ’he had to stop’ has been repeated severally to show that Joe is trying to take control of his mind on the situation that he is in and live for the reality(Trumbo, 90). Trumbo makes Joe someone we can relate to hence this makes him have reasons to think in every day and also to show the impacts of war that can end up making one lose control of his mind and be helpless too.
The use of punctuation and its effects
Dalton Trumbo uses several punctuation effects like mimicking and exclamation to aid in driving his key purpose. Joe’s thinking would at times be in words or sounds or images all of which are loosely related. This is majorly used when he is anxious. Punctuation has been used over and over in the entire book; this indicates that the author was trying to control the situation as he tried to control the case where he was furious. In addition, it was a technique employed to insist on his instances of mimicry language which often makes one to think that the sentences are running together. Punctuation has also been used as antiwar messages when it came to remembering the memories which were being described in a unique manner. In addition, punctuation has also been used as a didactic statement when it came to commenting on issues such as liberty and democracy being the main factors in honoring the worthiness of human life.
The major and minor purposes
Trumbo focuses on several issues like warfare, society and class, suffering and mortality. Society and class are one of the big issues he focuses on that war is mostly encouraged by those in power and wealthy people whenever they wish because they are not the ones who are going to fight. They are sure of using the poor and the young to satisfy their comforts and desire yet incase they survive they neglect them ending up dying in suffering. The author argues that class situation should change where the powerful and rich should consider the poor and the young.
Trumbo also brings the idea of war in that those who engage in war have no valid reasons for doing so. He also shows the effects of war. Joe gets helpless and he loses his arms and legs when fighting thus his life ends up in a hospital bed(Trumbo, 996). He tries to think and criticize why people have been blinded by the belief that war is the only way out to solve conflicts yet they have ignored its consequences.

Work Cited
Trumbo, Dalton. Johnny got his gun. New York New York: Citadel Press, 2007. Print