Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes Caputo's novel which tells of his battle experience in the Vietnam War and how it changed him from an idealistic young man fresh out of officer's school, to a ruthless killer, to a disillusioned soldier. Four main themes are presented. First, "A Rumor of War" gives a firsthand account of the corrupting power of war and its ability to strip soldiers of their humanity. Secondly, it exposes the dark side present in even the best man's heart. The book also graphically documents the capacity of man to be inhumane to man. Finally, the novel serves as a testament to the senseless destruction of life and property in the war.

From the Paper:

"To document the ability of war to corrupt a man and steal his humanity, Caputo unflinchingly documents his own transformation from a young man eager for the test of war to a cold-hearted killer motivated solely by raising the enemy casualty count. As his relationship with Vietnam grows, it is revealed to the author as a place of corruption. "Everything rotted and corroded quickly over there: bodies, boot leather, canvas, metal, morals" (229). He tells of his own loss of morals, a result of the futile missions to eliminate elusive guerilla enemy, the days of uncomfortable waiting laced with momentary terrors of sniper attack, and the mounting pressure from his superiors to show something was being gained with the ever-increasing American losses. A turning point in the book is when Caputo allows the platoon under his command to burn a village to the ground with only marginal justification."

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