Advanced Essay #3: Mindscape of sorrow by Ivan JR

the meaning of this essay is to dive into the idea mindset of people who go the hardship of war. Not much else to say but hopefully you enjoy my essay.

War and violence are things that can drastically change a person for better or worse. Thought usually it’s for the worse and that leads to a multitude of other problems. It teaches us who’s hiding something deep within that they themself didn’t even know existed. Violence Teaches us how to react when attacked and how will you respond when they point fingers to figure out who to blame. War teaches us how one tiny battle can blow up to the point it drags everyone and thing till there's nothing left but an empty hollow of what was. In the classic lyrics of ‘’War’’ by Edwin Starr ‘’War...huh….what is it good for? Absolutely Nothin’’.

Some people stay haunted by their past decisions and it can become a life wrecker. Whether or not it’s from guilt, or some suppressed memory they’ve kept locked away for a long time finally coming back to light. These haunting memories can lead to depression, suicide or a long life of self loth and hate towards one’s self. Like Norman Bowker, a man who felt like there was nothing left for him. In the book of ‘’The things they carried’’ by Tim O'brien, he committed suicide at a YMCA and had left a seventeen page hand written letter saying how he couldn’t find meaning. When Bowker was writing ‘’If I die in a combat zone’’ it brought back a lot of memories of his time in vietnam and one of the biggest being the death of his best friend Kiowa. He would constantly blame himself for his death, believing that he caused it with his flashlight looking at a picture of his (Ex) girlfriend during the time. Leading to a mortar hitting the mud, water and shit feld their crew were camped in and Kiowa being sucked into the ground beneath.

Going back into the idea that war changes a person is a very interesting topic and a quite difficult one. The difficult part of it is the question of ‘’were they always like this?’’ or was it the environment that shaped what they would become? Then that's where the interest comes in because your hooked and now you just need to know or you won’t get sleep or even rest. If we say environment then the conditions are what come to mind. Could it be the weather of the area that stings the mind from overbearing heat or bone freezing cold? or maybe it’s the constant annoying animals and insects that never shut up day and night keeping your mind in neverending noise? But if we go by the war itself then it’s easier to figure and understand (from an outside view). A close death encounter could change your view on the world like you take it easy or try to find that thrill again. That or being on the front line of the fighting and seeing the many horrors war can bring to you in one place.

It’s all this that cause people to change from good people to just death wanting husks of their former selves. These horrible and disturbing moments truly twist the way you view the world and make you realize that life isn’t as peaceful as you once thought. So whenever you see a homeless vet or a vet with PTSD think twice before you immediately demonize them. Because they seen and done things that still haunt them to this day and did things you would never do. Respect to the VETs and thank god for your service.       

Sources: ‘’The things they carried’’ by Tim O'brien